Which ones most look alike? See 10 mom and daughter finalists and cast your vote °page 8 6OL))) .UMBERs!PRIL WWW$ANVILLE7EEKLYCOM Real estate ‘Scandal’ first quarter hits Danville report Role Players Alamo, Blackhawk, Ensemble Theatre Danville prices presents old holding up well favorite °page 16 °page 26 Mailed free to homes in Danville, Blackhawk, Diablo and Alamo Keeping Danville NQMa`URaX Are stricter parking rules needed on neighborhood streets? Town says no; some residents say yes page 12 With over 40 years of combined Tired of Overcrowded Gyms? experience in financial services and asset management, Summit Financial We Offer an Exclusive One-on-One Group partners Nathan Bennett, Steve Personal Training Facility Wilcox and Don Ledoux specialize in retirement planning and helping small t453&/(5)108&3%&7&-01.&/5 business owners coordinate their t-*'&45:-&8&*()5."/"(&.&/5 financial plans and strategies. t#09*/('*5/&44803,0654 t$"3%*07"4$6-"3'*5/&44 Spring Classes t4103541&$*'*$53"*/*/( Retirement Planning Today t1&340/"-%&'&/4&53"*/*/( City of San Ramon 5/1, 5/8, 5/15 Barry E. Anderson, Fitness Director NSCA Certified Strength and City of Pleasanton Conditioning Specialist 5/13 and 5/20 B.A. Degree from Harvard University ACE Certified Personal Trainer For more information visit www.summitfingroup.com 925-867-3488 3120-D Crow Canyon Road Comprehensive Financial Services HealthandFitnessPlus.net 2010 Crow Canyon Place, Suite 120 San Ramon, CA 94583 sWWWSUMMITlNGROUPCOM 925-866-7800 Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Securian Financial Services Inc. Securities Dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Summit Financial Group LLC is independently owned and operated. TR#6305 DOFU 11/2007 Elegant and Relaxing Personalized Professional Nail Care Happy Hour Extended! Monday - Friday 5:00 - 8:00 All night on Thursday Bollinger Canyon location Live Entertainment on Patio Thursday, Friday & Saturday 44 Church Street BOLLINGER NAIL SALON LOCATIONS Danville San Ramon - Bollinger Canyon Road 925.820.7200 18080 San Ramon Valley Blvd . (925) 830-9700 www.bridgesdanville.com San Ramon - Crow Canyon Road 2441 San Ramon Valley Blvd . (925) 838-6300 Pleasant Hill 1420 Contra Costa Blvd . (925) 680 8600 Walnut Creek 1661 Mt. Diablo Blvd. (925) 938-2500 Host a Party—For birthdays, bridal showers or friends who want to have a unique and fun get together, arrange a private party at Bollinger Nail Salon. www.Bollingernailsalon.com Page 2ÊUÊ«ÀÊÓx]ÊÓäänÊUÊ >ÛiÊ7iiÞ Keeping Active People Active Streetwise UÊ9ÕÀÊ«iÀÃ>Ê`VÌÀÊvÀÊ David M. Bell, MD ASKED ON HARTZ AVENUE IN DANVILLE Ê >ÊëÀÌÃÊÕÀià UÊ->i`>ÞÊ>««ÌiÌà UÊ>ÞÊÛ>ÃÛi Ê «ÀVi`ÕÀià What do you remember UÊ"ÃÌiÊ* ÞÃV>Ê/ iÀ>«ÃÌÊ Q: Ê >`Ê-«ÀÌÃÊ ÕÌÀÌÃÌ Board Certifi ed in Orthopedic Surgery about your prom? Fellowship Trained in Sports Medicine 5000 Pleasanton Ave., Suite 200 Pleasanton, CA 94566 925-600-7020 I remember the excitement of getting ready www.BellSportMed.com and being with friends and getting my outfit at Bebe on Union Street. It was a black skirt and a white top! Wow, it’s all coming back to me! Barbara Rogers owner, The Body Adventure ONLY $300 PER MONTH Dang! I never went to my prom but I always Individual wished I did. I missed out on what seems to Pricing be a really valuable experience. I do regret it, I Membership really wish I went. INDIVIDUALS / FAMILIES Joe King personal trainer One Time Initiation Fee * Monthly Dues Unlimited Green Fees & Range Balls Reduced Guest Fees & Shop Discounts Charging Privileges * Monthly Billing and more... Prom was cool because it was my first time ever getting all dressed up and being in a limo! It was somewhere in the city, and all of my best friends were with me. Revita Saidian student 9000 S. Gale Ridge Road / San Ramon / 925.735.4253 WWW.THEBRIDGESGOLF.COM Oh, gosh, my prom! Well, my boyfriend had been drafted so it was me and the girls. Our prom was at a bowling alley in El Cerrito in 1971. We had the whole bowling alley to ourselves to bowl and dance. I wore my little 1970’s dress with big poofy hair. It was great! CALLAHAN Janet Smith domestic engineer TILE & STONE I got lost going to dinner in San Francisco. I couldn’t find the restaurant and was driving Our large designer showroom displays around the city thoroughly confused! Then I decided I didn’t even want to take my date an extensive selection of stone, to prom so we went to dinner and a club tile and unique decorative accents instead. It was pretty lame. featuring manufacturers as: Jonathan Briggs pharmaceutical scientist • Sonoma Tilemakers • Oceanside Glasstile• Landmark Metal Coat COMPILED BY KRISTEN LANG • Ken Mason Tile • Jeffrey Court • Country Floors ABOUT THE COVER When residents complain they don’t like the way certain neighbors maintain their property, it begs the question: Can and should the town step in and regulate beauty? COMPLIMENTARY DESIGN Photo by Meghan Neal. Cover design by Lili Cao. SERVICE AVAILABLE IN OUR Vol. III, Number 51 SHOWROOM BY APPOINTMENT The Danville Weekly is published every Friday by Embarcadero Publishing Co., 315 Diablo Road, Suite 100, Danville, CA 94526; (925) 837-8300. Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Rates is Pending at Danville 925-463-6000 CA. 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 4811 Hopyard Rd • Pleasanton rate for businesses and for residents of other communities is $50 per year. © 2007 by Embarcadero Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. >ÛiÊ7iiÞÊUÊ«ÀÊÓx]ÊÓäänÊU Page 3 Alamo’s Elite Custom Home GRAND OPENING Sunday May 4th, 1 to 5 PM s Celebration, Food and Entertainment Newly Completed Single-Story 6,075 sq. ft. Custom Home 9OUAREINVITEDTOTHEGREATUNVEILINGOFTHElRSTOFTHREEINCREDIBLE-UIR,ANECUSTOMHOMESONTHERAREWESTSIDEOF !LAMO4HESEIMPRESSIVESINGLE STORYCUSTOMHOMES RANGINGFROM TO SQUAREFEET AREINmUENCEDBYOLD WORLDCRAFTSMANSHIP#OUPLEDWITHACHARMINGNEIGHBORHOOD -UIR,ANE%STATESISAPLACEYOUWILLNEVERWANTTO LEAVE.OTONLYIS-UIR,ANE%STATESTHEMOSTEXTRAORDINARYPLACETOLIVE ITALSOPROVIDESACCESSTOTHEEXCEPTIONAL 3AN2AMON6ALLEY5NIlED3CHOOL$ISTRICT WITHRANKINGSTHATROUTINELYPLACEINTHETOPSTATEWIDE Muir Lane Residence 1 - Tuscan Farmhouse s #ULINARYKITCHENWITHPROFESSIONALGRADE6IKING ,IVING!REA SF APPLIANCESANDSEPARATEPREPKITCHEN 'ARAGESF s 3OLIDGRANITESLABCOUNTERTOPSANDKNOTTYALDER $ETACHED'ARAGESF GLAZEDCUSTOMCABINETRY #OVERED/UTDOOR SF s !NDERSONDOORSANDCASEMENTWINDOWSFRAMED "EDROOMS "ATHROOMS ,IVING2OOM $INING WITHCUSTOMMILLWORKANDRUSTICHARDWARE 2OOM &AMILY2OOM /FlCE +ITCHEN .OOK 0REP s %LEGANTHAND HEWNWOODmOORSANDRUSTICWOOD +ITCHEN %NTERTAINMENT2OOM 2ETREAT AND3ITTING BEAMCEILINGS !REAWITH+ITCHENETTE #AR'ARAGE s %LEGANT/LD7ORLD4USCANEXTERIORWITHEXPANSIVE LOGGIASANDlREPLACE s 3PACIOUSNEARLY ACREHOMESITE 160 Camille Avenue, Alamo, CA sWWWFAUTTHOMESCOM Price subject to change without notice. 0RICEDAT Map is not to scale. Page 4ÊUÊ«ÀÊÓx]ÊÓäänÊUÊ >ÛiÊ7iiÞ Newsfront SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF DANVILLE U BLACKHAWK U DIABLO U ALAMO Gay Pride Week inspires Day of Silence High school campus shows increased respect and tolerance by Meghan Neal sons SRVHS recognized the event a week early, on April 18. t’s not easy for most high Throughout the week leading up to schoolers to spend an entire the event, students distributed more I day without speaking a word. than 300 rainbow ribbons and sold Yet more than one hundred stu- the same amount of T-shirts touting dents at San Ramon Valley High the message, “Support Love.” took a vow of silence last Friday All week students were enthu- to encourage respect and tolerance siastic and eager to support the toward gay, lesbian, bisexual and cause, said senior Sammy Brenner, transgender people. the other GSA co-president. While The Day of Silence, a nation- last year only 40 or so people offi- ally recognized event, represents cially took part in the event, this the silence, helplessness and shame year the club surpassed its ambi- that many closeted and openly gay tious goal to sell 300 shirts. people face in their life. “I think we took it to the next level “It’s just trying to show straight this year,” she said, adding that the people—and gay people of course— turnout reflects the growing trend ‘This is what it’s like,’” said senior toward gay tolerance nationwide. MEGHAN NEAL Nick Pittarides, co-president of the “I think it’s our generation that’s school’s Gay-Straight Alliance. really going to hit this on the head The National Day of Silence is and make it happen,” said Brenner. being recognized today in conjunc- But there still are instances of San Ramon Valley High School held a Day of Silence on April 18 to promote gay tolerance. Seniors Sammy Brenner and Nick tion with Gay Pride Week, which Pittarides, co-presidents of the Gay-Straight Alliance, use signs to count down from 10 to break the silence. began Monday. For scheduling rea- ° Continued on page 9 Taxpayers bear the burden of unfunded mandate Danville raises stormwater utility assessment fees by $2.50 a year to help pay for new requirements by Meghan Neal neither will provide the necessary Mike Shimansky voted against Essentially, there’s no easy way “No one can tell me if our funding to meet the new require- the increase at the meeting this out of the predicament. With fines creeks in Danville are cleaner he Danville Town Council ments, which will cost Danville month. He was the only member for not complying with the permit now that we have spent over a half voted April 15 to increase $4.2 million over five years. of the council to do so. He doesn’t up to $10,000 per day, that’s just million dollars a year in property T stormwater utility assess- Since half that cost is unfunded, like the idea of raising “taxes” not an option, he said. tax assessments than they were ment fees by $2.50 a year, in order the town must come up with more during a possible recession, he Calabrigo pointed out that com- before Danville residents began to comply with increasingly strict than $2 million on its own.