Week in Review: School Name Change Divides Community; Fremont School Receives Three Threats in One Week

FREMONT

Fremont Students Sweep Alameda County Spelling Bee

Fremont students took home all four of the trophies awarded last weekend at the Alameda County Spelling Bee Championship. The two top winners, Anish Punaroor and Sahir Qureshi, breezed through the entire list of words for the elementary school competition so the judges challenged them with words intended for the junior high school competition. After several rounds with the harder words, the judges declared the contest a tie and both Anish and Sahir were awarded 1st place trophies.  

Thornton Jr. High Receives Third Threat in a Week

Another threat was called into Thornton Jr. High School on Monday — the third time in less than a week. Officers responded to the campus at around 2 p.m. without disrupting any classes. No threat was found. Last week, the school received bomb threats made by a male juvenile on Wednesday and Thursday. A 14-year-old boy was arrested for conspiring with an unknown suspect to phone in the threats. Police say the caller may be a copycat as similar threats have been made at schools in the region.

A copper thief managed to steal a large forklift from an Automall Parkway car dealership on Sunday morning, drive it to a PG&E yard on Boyce Road, drive it through a fence, pick up a giant spool of copper wire, load it onto a flatbed pickup truck and drive away. The vehicle the thief used was found abandoned in Hayward. Police believe the suspects took the wire to an unknown location and used a sophisticated machine or cutting tool to remove red insulation from the copper wire. Due to the weight and volume of the wire, police said multiple people were likely involved in this operation.

UNION CITY

The fight for renaming Alvarado Middle School after Filipino American leaders continued Tuesday as about 150 local youth marched from the school to the New Haven Board of Education meeting to voice their support. The informational meeting was called for by the school board to clear the air on a number of concerns. The board set the record straight on a number of items, most importantly that the council had already agreed to change the name of the school at a previous meeting, but has yet to approve the name. Board members also explained the history behind the current name and proposed name, the funding for the name change and more.

Read the full story, which has sparked 70 comments on the site and dozens on Facebook, here.

Man Exposes Himself to Teenage Girl

A man exposed his penis to a teenage girl as she was walking home from James Logan High School. the girl was walking in the area of G Street and Mission Boulevard. She was contacted by a male suspect who was driving a white four-door Lexus SUV. The male called her over and then exposed himself. He was described as a Hispanic male with short, spiky hair and goatee.

Women Fight Over Boyfriend Inside Jamba Juice

A woman was arrested after hurling various items — including a drink — at another woman inside of Jamba Juice Tuesday afternoon. According to the Fremont Argus, the fight occurred because the suspect — 19-year-old Yvonne Stark of Hayward — and victim had been romantically involved with the same guy. Stark reportedly saw the victim inside, walked in and threw a metal tray filled with cutlery across the room at the victim. Stark missed her target but hit an innocent bystander, leaving her with a minor laceration to her head. Both parties then went outside where she was arrested by police. As she was being arrested, the boyfriend tried to interfere and swing on police officers. He was also arrested.

NEWARK

Newark Unified To Start Seeking Coach Swift's Replacement

Now that Newark residents have mourned the passing of Coach Rich Swift, school officials are ready to start looking for his replacement. Coach Swift, who was a fixture at Newark Memorial for more than 30 years, died Feb. 13 of an inoperable brain tumor at 60. Newark Unified School District Superintendent David Marken said officials are ready to begin advertising for a permanent replacement as athletic director. That person will run 19 athletic programs ranging from badminton to wrestling. Marken said the public notice of the athletic director opening should be posted no later than the end of the week.

Crime Log: Copper Theft At Jr. High; Intruders Use Doggie Door; Nude Stroll To Motel Lobby

This week’s police log includes those reports mentioned in the headline, along with reports of an attempted rape, a hit-and-run, five pairs of shoes being stolen from a car, and more.

Closing Arguments In Futi Trial Start Monday

Soon it will up to a jury to decide whether Fremont resident Abraham Hade stabbed Osana Futi to death last April as part of a feud between a street gang and members of the Newark Memorial High School football team. Newark parent and athletics supporter Stacy Kelly told Patch she has attended all 11 days of the trial in Oakland Superior Court and that she will be on hand Monday when the wrapup begins. That's when prosecutor Elgin Lowe will summarize his case that Hade stabbed Futi on Hyde Park Drive in Fremont after a party on the night of April 28. Defense attorney Tom Knutsen will argue that it was not Hade who stabbed Futi but a friend of the accused who was only 14 at the time of the murder.

What was your favorite story this week? Do you have future story ideas? Tell us in the comments.

-----
Like Fremont Patch  | Follow Fremont Patch | Like Newark Patch  | Follow Newark Patch  | LikeUnion City Patch  | Follow Union City Patch