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Letters to the editor

Parade from the inside

Dear Editor:

When I drove from San Ramon High to the Livery Mercantile on the evening of July 3, I knew I would see canvas and plastic chairs of every style, shape and variety. That's a sacred Danville tradition.

Always before I had been a spectator, letting families stand in front of me so the kids could see. This year was different. On the morning of July 4, I marched in the parade with a dozen or more members of the Danville-Alamo AAUW, which advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education and research. We honored our Tech Trek campers and celebrated the 40th anniversary of our branch.

At 8 a.m., we gathered around Dan and Pat De Rensis' 1966 Mercedes and eventually made our way onto Danville Boulevard. The chairs were now filled with cheering, flag-waving, hotdog-eating families. We gave out beads and candy and waved to those sitting on rooftops. What a pleasure to walk through this colorful sea of Americana.

Seeing this parade from the inside gave me a new perspective on the families I'd let stand in front of me. I watched 30,000 or more spectators with much admiration as I marched behind the AAUW banner. Multiple generations of cheering faces made our broken economy, the war in Afghanistan, and the concerns about global warming seem far away. With so many towns canceling celebrations this year, it feels good to live in a town where sponsors keep this empowering tradition afloat.

I hope you get a chance to march with one of the participating groups. It will give you a new perspective on the people, the energy and the spirit that makes this town such a great place to live.

B. Lynn Goodwin

Danville

Preserving trees

Dear Editor:

I read with amusement Mayor Newell Arnerich's comment in this week's paper ("It's official: Coast redwoods off protected list") where he said, "I think Danville has done an outstanding job of preserving our open space, trees and natural beauty". Didn't he, along with the entire Town Council, encourage, endorse and approve the development of both the Weber and Elworthy properties? Count the number of trees they saved there. Seems to me the mayor has a short memory!

Jim Simpson

Danville