Love is in the Air Valentine’s Day section traces romances of three couples ➤ page 11 Vol. II, Number 41 • February 9, 2007 www.DanvilleWeekly.com Super Bowl Danville ad boosts OKs zoning career change Monte Vista grad Apartment project ‘beauty queen’ stars in south Danville in best commercial is now a go ➤ page 5 ➤ page 5 Mailed free to homes in Danville, Blackhawk, Diablo and Alamo SONJA EDWARD& Love sees artists through wartime and political turmoil page 16 Serving with integrity dedicated to your overall satisfaction Complimentary Design Consultation 4175 First Street 2172 San Ramon Blvd., Ste. D Livermore San Ramon www.quarrylane.org 925.454.8583 925.831.8685 svhuzGjhuGilGsprlGhGivGvmG Concierge Medicine A New Level of Medical Care, The Way It’s Meant to Be jovjvsh{lz…G zvtl{ptlzGv|Gkvu˅{Gruv~G~oh{G v|˅ylGnvuuhGnl{G ~GGG GGHG G Donald S. Parsons, M.D. G Internal Medicine G Announces the Opening of His Concierge Medical G Practice, Beginning March 1st, 2007 G ANGELA ALOISE DARLENE CRANE LYNN ESKEW DARLENE ESPINOZA MONICA JONES G `Y\U[]XU]`\\G `Y\U[]XUY_W`G GG`Y\UY[`UZ[ZYG `Y\UY[`UZ[GGZGG]GGGGGGGGGGGGG`Y\UY[`UZ[Z^G G Information Meeting* G How does concierge medicine benefit you, the patient? G Q & A With Dr. Parsons G Tuesday, February 13, 2007 7-8 P.M. G CHERI KEEFE R JILL MOSSER NORMA PERKINS LORI SMITH LINDA ZAISS Danville Library in the Mount Diablo Room G G`Y\UY[`UZ[ZZG `Y\UY[`UZ[Z[G `Y\U[]XU]`\]G `Y\U[]XU]`\`G `Y\U\\YUXX_\G G G ~lz{GulhsGiyhujoG 400 El Cerro Boulevard, Suite 102 G Danville, California 94526 G ZWG~UGulhsGz{yll{SGz|p{lGXW\GQGwslhzhu{vuG G *Reservations required. G JWYW^W[G jhGkUGGyGlSGyGlGiGJWXYW][ZG Please call Cheryl @ (925) 855-3780 Page 2 • February 9, 2007 • Danville Weekly Streetwise The Danville Weekly website just got better. ASKED AT PEET’S COFFEE AND TEA IN DANVILLE • More daily and breaking news updates • Interactive Community Calendar Introducing • Local Blogs • Viewer Polls TownSquare An online forum to Is it OK to spank a child? Danville’s new online Discuss Community Issues Q: neighborhood at Ask for advice www.DanvilleWeekly.com Rate a movie Review a restaurant Personally I’m not comfortable with thinking Report a sports score and more of spanking children. I know I didn’t have to resort to it. But I also don’t feel comfortable Be a Citizen Journalist telling other people not to do it. I don’t think legislating against it is the answer. Kare Bonnar-Fay stay-at-home mom Welcome to the New Danville Weekly.com It’s a hard question. To be perfectly honest there are a few who do need a quick spanking on their tail but not to be beaten up. Spanking done in a loving way could be beneficial to a child. There are so many situations we have at our high schools and even our grammar ry 16 brua schools where kids are abusive to themselves. Coming Fe John Steward retired owner of painting business I think no one should spank children. There are far better ways to discipline them and other deterrents. You have to anticipate prob- lems. Martha Slavin former teacher I don’t think it should be made illegal. There’s a fine line between spanking and abuse. I have two children, 14 and 8. We never spanked them but sometimes we might give a quick whack if they were doing something danger- ous or picking up the cat by its foot. We used timeouts, and now we take away things they believe are their rights, like the Internet. Paul Kimelman technical architect I never spanked my two children. I withheld privileges and restricted them. And there was lots of talking. Polly Dyer retired fitness instructor COMPILED BY DOLORES FOX CIARDELLI ABOUT THE COVER Sonja Dahl Biberman stands with the self-portrait painted by her husband Edward Biberman when he lived in Paris in the late 1920s. He told her that when the painting was in an exhibit he stood nearby to hear people’s comments. Photo by Dolores Fox Ciardelli. Cover design by Ben Ho. Vol. II, Number 41 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 per year. © 2006 by Embarcadero Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. Danville Weekly • February 9, 2007 • Page 3 NEWSFRONT The Pet Nanny QUALITY AND VALUE • Since 1976 NEWS DIGEST Multiple Daily Visits • Daily Dog Walks Newspaper & Mail Pick-Up • Home Security Checks • Overnights QUOTE OF THE WEEK Medication (if needed) • Personalized Service • Plant & Home Care I know people vacationing 1 FREE VISIT with 4 day minimum* $18 Value. Offer expires 4-30-07. don’t want to hear that the Overnights not included. *New Clients Only polar bears are dying. Plan Now “ —Comedian Johnny Steele discussing appropriate humor for Spring Getaways for different audiences. See story, page 19. ” 925.932.5833 www.petnannymarlene.com Locally Owned & Operated Since 1994 Baseball ready for challenged kids Bonded & Insured • References • Member of PSI Veterinary Approved Danville A’s Challenger Baseball for kids ages 6 to 22 with disabilities is gearing up for its 2007 season, said coach Frank Elliott. “In Challenger games, every player bats, runs and scores in each inning,” said Elliott. “And we have teenage SPRING CLEANSING ‘buddies’ assigned to all players.” The Danville A’s play teams from San Ramon, Tassajara LOSE 15 TO 30 LBS OF FAT Valley, Livermore, Pleasanton and Dublin. The games with Tahara Detox Rejuvenation Program. begin at 1:30 p.m. every Sunday at the Dublin Sports Park and last about 90 minutes. The season runs from March Hear what others are saying: 25 to June 10. “No more headache because my blood pressure is normal…” Elliott is taking signups now. Interested parents of kids “Feeling great and more energetic than ever…” “Life changing experience… no more antidepression pills…” with disabilities can contact him by phoning 736-5373 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Visit our www.taharacenter.com for more information or Call for a FREE Consultation! Superintendent on autism committee San Ramon Valley Unified School District Superintendent Rob Kessler has been appointed by State Superintendent (925) 249-9642 of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell to serve on a newly Detox Weight Loss Center 4725 First Street #270 created statewide Autism Advisory Committee. The com- Downtown Pleasanton mittee is part of a larger effort to develop strategies for www.taharacenter.com helping California children diagnosed with autism. “I am pleased with the appointment,” said Kessler. “This will give me the opportunity to help create broader policy and effect positive change to support autistic children and their families in our own community as well as California as a whole.” The Danville Weekly website just got better. The purpose of the Autism Advisory Committee is to develop recommendations to identify how schools can better serve autistic students and their parents. These rec- • More daily and breaking news updates ommendations will include strategies for connecting edu- • Interactive Community Calendar Introducing cational institutions with the latest research and outreach • Local Blogs services available. The committee will include parents of • Viewer Polls TownSquare children with autism, school district administrators, teach- ers and other educators, autism research specialists and An online forum to other medical professionals. Danville’s new online Discuss Community Issues Members will conduct their first meeting in late February neighborhood at Ask for advice in Sacramento, with recommendations due in November. www.DanvilleWeekly.com Rate a movie Review a restaurant Teachers meet scientists socially Report a sports score and more The school district and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory co-hosted the first in a series of Science Be a Citizen Journalist Socials designed to allow classroom teachers to learn about cutting edge science and network with scientists in an informal setting. Hopefully these scientists may serve as resources for curriculum development, field trips and as guest speakers in the classroom. The event, which took place Tuesday at Iron Horse Middle School, featured a talk by Lab physicist John Welcome to the New Perkins and included a social hour with more Lab scien- Danville Weekly.com tists. Additional Science Socials will be scheduled for the spring and will include scientists from local companies, research labs and universities. The Science Socials are being created as part of the San Ramon Valley Science Initiative. The Initiative is sponsored 16 by the San Ramon Valley Education Foundation and led by uary Febr local teachers to enrich the science curriculum and sup- Coming ported by a cadre of scientists who live and work nearby. For more information, contact Stan Hitomi by e-mail at [email protected] or telephone 552-5049. Corrections The story in the Feb. 2 issue on the Danville man being arraigned on a charge of homicide should have given the name of the accused as Joshua Lemke. Page 4 • February 9, 2007 • Danville Weekly Newsfront SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF DANVILLE • BLACKHAWK • DIABLO • ALAMO Danville OKs housing plans on Fostoria Way Zoning change opens way for apartments by Geoff Gillette intervening weeks, representatives of Blacksmith Homes had met ith little debate and less with both the town and the prop- fanfare the members erty owners to go over lot lines and W of the Danville Town easement agreements.