Page 6 - January 2014 ~ Danville Today News
How Your Food is Grown: Challenges and Sustainability Forum
The League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley (LWV), with Sustainable Lafayette and the Lafayette Community Garden, is hosting a forum titled “How Your Food is Grown: Challenges and Sustainability” addressing agriculture policy issues. The forum will be held January 9 from 7:30 – 9PM in the Lafayette Library and Learning Center on Mt. Diablo Boulevard. The event is free and light refreshments will be served. The forum is part of the LWV national study on agriculture and is meant to inform the public, as well as League members. Panelists will share their work and then answer questions from the audience. The panelists are Margaret Reeves, PhD, Soil Ecologist, Darryl Wong, UCSC Agroecology Farm Site Research Land Manager, and Barbara Cecchini, Brentwood Farmer.
San Ramon Valley Newcomers Club
The San Ramon Valley Newcomers Club is holding its monthly luncheon on Thursday, January 16 at The Forbes Mill Steakhouse in Danville. There will be an 11:30 social and noon luncheon. This event is open to current and prospective members in the San Ramon Valley area. For further information or a reservation, please contact Dee Bradshaw at (925) 837-9600.
Alamo-Danville Newcomers Club
The Alamo-Danville Newcomers Club is not just for Newcomers! Meetings are open to all who are thinking of joining the club, and casual welcome coffee get-togethers are the perfect opportunity to learn about the many facets of Newcomers while enjoying coffee and chatting with Club Members. The next free Welcome Coffee will be held Tuesday, January 28 from 10M to noon. For more information visit our website at www.alamodanvillenewcomers. com, call (925) 281-1307, or e-mail alamodanvillenewcomers@gmail.com.
Host Families Sought for Visiting French Students
For the ninth consecutive year, students from a large high school in the South of France are coming to Danville. Every visit by the students has been better than the last. The students will arrive on April 27th and depart May 9th . The teens stay with local families and have a full itinerary of activities during the days and only require your attention in the evenings and one weekend. The visit is an ideal opportunity to experience another culture and hopefully consider visiting France in return. Anyone interested in hosting a student (or students!) is welcome to participate. For more information or to find out about past year’s programs, please contact Martine Causse (teacher in charge of the group), at caussefly@wanadoo.fr or dachary.martine@orange.fr. There are many happy local host families ready to discuss any questions with you. The local contact is Danville parent Kevin Dimler, who can be reached at kevindimler@gmail.com or 925-718-5052.
Lic# 1100014354; Bay Area Entertainment
www.yourmonthlypaper.com
My New Year’s Resolution – Please Make it Yours Too!
By Supervisor Candace Andersen, Contra Costa County, District 2
Recently I had the opportunity to participate in the CHP’s “Start Smart” program with my almost 16 year-old-son. Not only did it have an impact on Sam, who will be eligible to get his driver’s license later this month, but it caused me to think more carefully about my own driving. This month, as you contemplate your New Year’s resolutions, consider what you can do to help keep our roads safer. Did you know that according to the California Office of Traffic Safety, in 2011, California’s traffic fatalities increased 2.6%? I am sure it will come as no surprise to you that alcohol, drugs, and distracted driving contributed greatly to these statistics. An additional compounding factor included people not properly wearing seatbelts. Sadly, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that about half of the 521 known unrestrained drivers/ passengers killed would be alive today, had they chosen to buckle up. A snapshot of some of our most current local traffic statistics for 2013 show: Unincorporated Alamo: Total Traffic Collisions: 58 Total Injury Collisions: 19 Total Fatal Collisions: 1 (No bicyclist or Pedestrian Involved) Injury Collisions Involving Pedestrians: 3 Injury Collisions Involving Bicyclists: 8 Town of Danville: Total Traffic Collisions: 310 Total Injury Collisions: 46 Fatal Collisions: 1 (No bicyclist or pedestrians Involved) Fatal Collisions: 1 (Pedestrian) Injury Collisions Involving Pedestrians: 6 Injury Collisions Involving Bicyclists: 7 I-680 (District II Section: from Diablo Road, Danville to Olympic Blvd. in Walnut Creek): Total Traffic Collisions: 225 Total Injury Collisions: 66 Total Fatal Collisions: 1(Motorcyclist) As you can see, our local statistics are alarming and changes need to be made. The recent CHP Start Smart event held at Monte Vista High School was well attended by drivers of all ages. Students from Monte Vista High, Cal High, San Ramon Valley High, Dougherty Valley High, and Del Amigo engaged in a very sobering presentation of how tragedy can happen in mere seconds. San Ramon Valley Street Smarts will be sponsoring another presentation in the spring. You can also attend this class sooner in Martinez at the CHP headquarters. Call (925) 646-4980 or go to www.chp.ca.gov/community/startsmart. html for more information. So while you are compiling this year’s list of resolutions, please add “help keep our roads safer,” to your list. As with any resolution, tips are helpful, so please consider the following: • Allow extra time to get to your destination • Avoid school traffic by planning your errands accordingly • Slow down • Be patient with other drivers • Avoid texting and/or talking on the phone even if it’s “hands free” Additional traffic safety ideas can be found at streetsmarts.com. Think of how much easier this resolution is in comparison to our Top Ten Most Common Resolutions, which usually include diet, exercise, balancing home and work, and finishing that never ending “To Do” list! Wishing you and your family a Safe and Very Happy 2014!