Sec 1 - Danville Express

Perspective
Serving the communities
of Danville, Blackhawk,
Diablo and Alamo
PUBLISHER
Deborah Acosta McKeehan
EDITORIAL
Editor
Dolores Fox Ciardelli
Staff Reporters
Jordan M. Doronila
Natalie O’Neill
Editorial Intern
Kevin Zhou
Sports Writer
Mike L. Mc Colgan
Contributors
Kathy Cordova
Geoff Gillette
B. Lynn Goodwin
Cathy Jetter
Jacqui Love Marshall
Julie Nostrand
ART & PRODUCTION
Art Director/
Operations Manager
Shannon Corey
Assistant Design Director
Ben Ho
Designers
Steve Bruzenak
Trina Cannon
James Greenfield
Jason Lind
ADVERTISING
Advertising Manager
Laure Reynolds
Senior Account Executive
Esmeralda Escovedo-Flores
Advertising
Account Executives
Amy McKelligan
Susan Sterling
Real Estate
Account Executive
Owen McAleer
Classified Advertising
Susan Thomas
BUSINESS
Office Manager
Amory Foreman
Ad Services
Veneta Roberts, Manager
Alicia Broadway
Business Associate
Lisa Oefelein
Circulation Manager
How to reach the Weekly
315 Diablo Road, Suite 100
Danville, CA 94526
Phone: (925) 837-8300
Fax: (925) 837-2278
Editorial e-mail:
Editor@DanvilleWeekly.com
Calendar@DanvilleWeekly.com
Display Sales e-mail:
sales@PleasantonWeekly.com
Classifieds Sales e-mail:
Ads@DanvilleWeekly.com
Circulation e-mail:
circulation@DanvilleWeekly.com
The Danville Weekly is published every
Friday by Embarcadero Publishing Co.,
315 Diablo Road, Suite 100, Danville,
CA 94526; (925) 837-8300.
Mailed at Standard Postage Rate. The
Danville Weekly is mailed free to homes
and apartments in Danville, Blackhawk,
Diablo and Alamo. Voluntary subscriptions
at $30 per year ($50 for two years) are welcome
from local residents.
Subscription rate for businesses and for
residents of other communities is $50/year.
© 2006 by Embarcadero Publishing Co.
All rights reserved. Reproduction
without permission is strictly prohibited.
EDITORIALS
• LETTERS • OPINIONS ABOUT LOCAL ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITY
EDITORIAL • THE OPINION OF THE WEEKLY
Bicyclists beware
Now that the nice weather is here, bicyclists are
out in force; some bicycle routes that pass through
Alamo and Danville are considered Bay Area classics.
But sharing the roads with lone bicyclists or those in
groups can be nerve-wracking for drivers, not to mention
dangerous for the bike rider.
A bicyclist was struck by a car Wednesday last week
in Alamo as he pedaled north on Danville Boulevard
just four blocks south of Livorna Road. A woman
going south turned left into Finley Lane as he was
approaching it and he crashed into her passenger side.
He was not in the wrong but bicycle vs. motor vehicle
is an uneven contest. Luckily his injuries were minor.
Many recreational bicyclists fly up and down
Danville Boulevard as though they were invincible. On
weekends, they often ride two or three abreast, which
makes it impossible to stay in their specified bike lane.
Bicyclists should heed
these tips for being
safe in traffic, presented
on Real Bicycles
Web site:
• Always leave yourself
an exit route;
• Don’t be confrontational
with drivers who
“lose it”;
• Signal early, especially
when moving
into a left-turn lane;
• Be careful not to stop
on an oil slick;
Many recreational
bicyclists fly up
and down Danville
Boulevard as though
they were invincible.
• Be alert for drivers opening their doors into the traffic;
• Try to establish eye contact before moving in front
of cars;
• Beware of drivers’ blind spots; and
• Expect the worst and ride accordingly.
The tip about drivers who “lose it” is especially
interesting. There does seem to be antagonism between
people using the roads to run their errands and bicyclists
out for recreation. The Iron Horse Trail exists for
such riders but of course it is much slower, not nearly
as smooth, and must be shared with walkers, joggers
and skaters.
Bicyclists sharing the streets with cars need to
beware: Might may not make right, but the laws of
physics prove in a physical crash that might has a far
better chance of survival.
YOUR TURN
The Danville Weekly encourages comments on our coverage or on
issues of local interest. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday for that week’s edition;
please limit letters to 250 words, and provide your name, street
address and daytime telephone number. We reserve the right to edit
contributions for length and style and for factual errors known to us.
LETTERS: Mail or hand deliver to Danville Weekly,
315 Diablo Road, Suite 100,
Danville, CA 94526
Fax: (925) 837-2278
E-mail: Editor@DanvilleWeekly.com
Vegetarian eating is easy
Dear Editor:
As a vegan of over 15 years,
I’d like to respond to a couple of
the points raised by Jacqui Love
Marshall in her Epicure column of
April 28.
First, the need for special concern
regarding insufficient protein
in a vegan diet has been overblown.
Moreover, the myth of
protein complementation has long
been understood as unnecessary in
vegetarian diets. As summarized
by Reed Mangels, Ph.D., R.D.,
on the Vegetarian Resource Group
Web site (www.vrg.org/nutrition/
protein.htm): “It is very easy for a
vegan diet to meet the recommendations
for protein, as long as calorie
intake is adequate. Strict protein
combining is not necessary; it is
more important to eat a varied diet
throughout the day.”
Second, as for the amount of
time and effort needed to find,
buy and prepare vegan/vegetarian
meals, my guess is this is no different
from that required of anyone
wishing to eat a healthy diet regardless
of whether meat is included.
Many people nowadays, vegetarian
and omnivore alike, seek out
fresh and organic foods—so much
so that these can now be found in
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
many Safeway supermarkets and
other conveniently located grocers.
Regarding your juice example, I
for one am happy to drink presqueezed
organic juices just as
others might select pre-squeezed
nonorganic juices. And cooking a
veggie burger or tofu cutlet takes
no longer than its meat counterpart.
In 2006, a vegetarian diet is as
quick and easy as any other.
Thank you again for your efforts
to inform your readers.
Dennis Crean,
Redwood Valley
Civilized living
Dear Editor:
In the May 12 issue, I so enjoyed
your “Presenting the Past” reprint
of the 1950s advertisement for
Cameo Acres, a new home development
in Danville with prices at
$9,350 and payments as low as $58
per month. My big laugh is that my
parents considered buying there
in the early ’50s but decided on a
much more lavish home in a more
civilized area: Concord! and it was
50 percent costlier at over $12,000!
It is hard to imagine a time when
Concord was chosen over Danville.
Compare the areas and prices now.
Thanks for the memories!
Greg Thibodeaux,
Alamo
Don’t go a week
without your WEEKLY
The Danville Weekly is mailed to
every home and most businesses in Danville,
Blackhawk, Diablo and Alamo. To keep receiving
the newspaper call 837-8300 or go to
www.DanvilleWeekly.com.
For an extra copy, stop by our office at
315 Diablo Road, Suite 100 or pick one up
at one of the handy locations in the area such as
the post offices in Danville, Diablo and Alamo;
Trader Joe’s; the Danville Library; Longs Drugs
in Danville, Blackhawk and Alamo; Walgreens;
Andronico’s Market; and Rakestraw Books.
315 Diablo Road, Suite 100
Danville, 94526
(925) 837-8300 Fax (925) 837-2278
Code of ethics The Danville Weekly seeks to adhere to the highest level
of ethical standards in journalism, including the Code of Ethics adopted Sept.
21, 1996, by the Society of Professional Journalists. To review the text of the
Code, please visit our web site at www.DanvilleWeekly.com
Page 10 • May 19, 2006 • Danville Weekly