Sincerely,
Randolph L. Tom
Moraga

To the Editor:
If you're in trouble, Orinda is a good place to be. I experienced a severe hypoglycemic episode driving in upper Orinda hills, stopped, couldn't tell where I was but called police. The dispatcher sent a car and an ambulance and they found me .. . somehow.
The ambulance was manned by Laynee Cooley and Michael Lacy of the fire department. One couldn’t hope for more prompt, skilled, courteous, supportive and, yes, friendly rescuers. They did a blood glucose test and made other assessments. I and my car were delivered back home, on El Toyonal, and all became well.
Thank you again, Orinda Fire Department.

Roger McMillan
Orinda

Editor:
My name is Gregory Robinson, I am 17 years old, and I am a fervent supporter of the Lafayette Bike Park. I am one of the many who attend and speak at the meetings, and I do everything I can to support the project. Because at the moment the project is largely a political issue, I have been following the opposition and for the past 6 months or so I have been noticing that the site nolafayettebikepark.com has been posting items that are either inconsistent with facts and/or are misrepresentations of facts. For example, the “Best of BMX lobby” section on the site shows only the most vulgar and rude comments that the biking community has said, and it has gone and selected these statements from sites where there are forums about the project. I myself have written a number of very polite and logical letters to them, and they were completely ignored. The opposition is trying to paint us as though we are deliberately attempting to destroy their natural park, when the reality is that we just want to ride our bikes and we want a place that is dedicated to the sport we love; I myself race mountain bikes fairly seriously and want a place to train on a regular basis. They call us vandals, when in reality we are simply athletes attempting to do what we like to do.

Sincerely,
Gregory Robinson
Lafayette

Dear Editor:
The response to my article series on gluten has been tremendous, from the majority of people who’ve written about how it’s begun to improve their lives, to a person who challenged the information in a previous letter to the editor. Contrary to his assertion that I plan to open a gluten-free bakery, I have no current or future ownerships in bakeries, Trader Joe’s, Open Sesame or Whole Foods, all businesses I mentioned in the articles as community resources. (I’d probably frequent a local gluten-free bakery if one were to open, however). I am a Doctor of Chiropractic, a portal-of-entry doctor and physician under Medicare and Workers Compensation. Additionally, I have a Master’s degree in Nutrition and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology.
It’s critical to know that major medical research journals are increasingly publishing studies linking gluten with many conditions, in susceptible individuals. A study of 29,000 with celiac disease (CD), 13,000 with solely small intestine inflammation, and 3,700 with “latent” CD (positive antibodies but normal intestinal findings), concluded that risk of death is modestly increased in all 3 groups (Journal of the American Medical Association 2009;302(11):1171-78. In “Surprises from Celiac Disease”, Alessio Fasano, M.D. states “Roughly 1 percent of the global population has celiac disease, although most do not know it. About half of adults with the condition do not suffer from diarrhea at diagnosis. Other signs that may occur in adults are anemia, arthritis, bone loss, depression, fatigue, joint pain, seizures, and numbness in the hands and feet.” (Scientific American, Aug. 2009; pp. 54-61). Another study states “It is of a critical nature to identify children with gluten intolerance and celiac disease as early as possible to reduce the development of other auto-immune diseases.”(J. Ped. Gastro. and Nutrition 35:704-5). One has only to refer to Pubmed.com for hundreds of research studies on the topics referred to in my articles.
When scientists search rigorously for the causes of disease, even longstanding dietary staples we thought were healthy can be found detrimental to health. Apparently certain grass proteins such as those found in wheat, rye and barley can play a significant role in a variety of commonly encountered health difficulties. Were it up to my taste buds, gluten-filled foods would be among the healthiest items in a daily diet. Unfortunately they don’t seem to fall into that category for many. Like most, my childhood was filled with those foods and the adjustments haven’t always been easy. It’s a matter of making an informed personal choice, aiming to reduce pain and suffering; it’s about making appropriate changes based on sound medical research.
I hope the articles are thought-provoking because everyone deserves to be made aware of the latest discoveries in disease prevention. To reiterate, I do not plan to own or operate a gluten-free bakery, and do not own stock in any gluten-free businesses. Thank you for this opportunity to clarify any misconceptions which may have occurred. Additional medical references are available upon request.

Sincerely,
Theresa Tsingis, DC,MS
(Editor’s note: The Lamorinda Weekly has verified Dr. Tsingis’s credentials. Our columnists are professionals working in the field about which they are writing; their opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Lamorinda Weekly, but we do not accept professional columns from those who are not qualified to write them.)

Measure A: Emergency Education Parcel Tax

Editor:
I read with dismay Mr. Lively's distorted view of the Acalanes Union High School District's financial problems. He claims that the rules for K-2 class size reduction supposedly foisted upon the state by teachers unions, have caused AUHSD to hire many more teachers than he believes are required.
Obviously, this is ludicrous since high schools don't serve those students. In fact, AUHSD claims an average class size of 25.8, which is in line with what Mr. Lively himself seems to deem acceptable.
The "long-ago" classes of 30-40 students in which Mr. Lively claims to have received his excellent education were not nearly so information-intensive as modern classrooms; students must now be taught far more during their high school years than he (or I) did. If the planned layoff of 50 teachers comes to pass, many classes will have 40 or more students. Teachers simply cannot teach well in such large classes (how does one even fit that many desks in a classroom?) and our children's education will suffer.
Many other classes will be gone completely. An entire period of school will be eliminated. AP classes? Most will be gone, making our kids far less competitive with others when applying to good universities. Did Mr. Lively have wood or metal shop when he was in school? Our children won't.
To support his view, Mr. Lively quotes studies and statistics from the Libertarian CATO institute which (politics aside) may be useful from a high-level viewpoint but are hardly applicable to AUHSD. His complaints about excessive school funding in California also have no bearing at AUHSD, where per-student contributions from the State are 6% lower than average.
Spending by the district is up to 29% less per student than other districts of comparable academic achievement. Despite Mr. Lively's claims of financial mismanagement, AUHSD and the other Lamorinda school districts have been doing more with less for a very long time.
Due to Proposition 13, property tax revenues that used to be generated locally for schools were replaced with state funding which, as we all know, has been drastically reduced now that the state's finances are in disarray.
The only reliable source of funding available to school districts are parcel taxes, which the state can't steal-- I mean borrow-- as it has other local revenues.
The primary reason Lamorinda property values hold up as they do is because our schools are so desirable. Ten years from now, how much less will your house be worth than it would have been, if the proposed $112/year parcel tax doesn't pass and our schools become mediocre? Instead of fighting an extra, tax-deductible $10/month, think about the big picture and support the future of our schools.

Mike Bernhardt
Moraga

Dear Editor:
I have been a resident of Orinda for 20 years. I am a product of public schools, including universities. My 2 kids both attended public schools in Orinda. I consider myself a proponent of public education.
I have recently begun to reconsider my financial support for local schools. I was dissatisfied by the justification for Measure E in 11/08. I thought the roofs were to have been fixed by the original bond money that had been spent. I notice that the high schools now have state of the art athletic complexes. The performing arts centers would be the envy of many colleges. The measure passed with the emphasis placed on the need to maintain performance. A questionable association.
Then last fall Measure G passed extending what had been expected to be a time-limited tax. The Orinda USD decided against going forward with a tax measure in 2009. Not Acalanes.
Now the board has decided to place another new Measure A before the electorate. Only this time it will be a mail-in special ballot prior to the June election. Seniors will be exempted & a hoped for small turnout will increase chances for a 2/3 margin of victory.
What are we teaching our children? That in the deepest recession in ¾ of a century we’ll spend whatever it takes to assure their comfort? That while home values plummet and homeowners struggle to make ends meet, our neighbors’ financial pain is not to be considered?
As a physician I see patients these days who are out of work & unable to afford COBRA, who are injured & have no insurance except for their injuries, who are in foreclosure as they are underemployed, & who have filed for bankruptcy because of expenses including medical bills & mortgages. People in Orinda, Lafayette, Moraga & Walnut Creek are not unaffected by the recent & ongoing economic downturn. (Check out the increase in short sales & foreclosures in Lamorinda.) Is this the right time for this school district to propose its 3rd tax measure in 18 months?
To date what I have heard as the reasons for the pending measure do not justify its passage. 1) I will vote NO. 2) I encourage Lamorindans to vote NO. 3) I will end my contributions to the EFO, which I have supported for years, should the measure pass. 4) I will support fiscally responsible non-incumbents who run for the Board.

Respectfully submitted,
Dr. Bob Larsen

Editor,
The Acalanes Unified School District is floating the idea of another parcel tax to offset the budget shortfall, (AUHSD Proposes Parcel Tax, February 17, 2010). I don't agree with another tax, and I especially don't agree with the senior exemption from another parcel tax. While my property value has decreased by as much as 15%-20% and my property taxes are triple that of my long time neighbors, who I acknowledge are on a fixed income, however, they also they are sitting on $1 million in equity, have pre-prop 13 property payments and now are exempt from another tax. Supposedly, EACH home benefits from this tax because EACH homes value is directly related to the schools, therefore, EACH home should be assessed the same tax amount. I don't mean to start a class war, but it can't be both ways.

Linda Downs
Lafayette

Dear Editor,
The cost of everything is rising and enough is enough! While I have seen a 30% cut in my pay and now I am doing the job of several others who were laid off, the Acalanes Unified School District wants me to dig deeper to alleviate cuts to the district’s budget. cannot support another increase in property taxes. The costs of living, or better said , surviving, is increasing and we cannot pay more taxes. We save energy and then PG&E puts on a smart meter and we get an increase, we save water and EBMUD raises rates, BART raises its fees and charges to park, Comcast increases annually, Anthem raises my health coverage by 38%, my property taxes increase each year, even though my property value has decreased by as much as 15%, we pass measure G and now the district wants more. Enough is enough. The schools already do a great job of embarrassing, ridiculing, and harassing me in to the "suggested donation" amount needed for every activity at the schools. EFO, Annual funds, Auctions, the laundry lists of "suggested" supplies needed prior to each school year, "donations" for class projects, the "help" needed by the parents to keep all the essential activities running, the "contribution and volunteer time required" to save the school library, school sport, school field trip, or school activity. The Lamorinda area is stuck in the belief that every citizen and every household is a blank check. Enough is enough!!
Tough decisions need to be made, but another tax is not the answer.

Jonathon J. Smith
Orinda

Editor:
“We educate every student to excel and contribute in a global society.” The Acalanes Union High School District mission statement could soon become a dream instead of a viable mission. The California Department of Education has honored every district school for its educational excellence. AUHSD schools rank in the top 3% of all California high schools. Three schools scored 900+ APIs last spring. Las Lomas is a National Blue Ribbon School.
With the announced reduction of $254 per student for the 2010-2011 school year and further cuts likely to come, AUHSD students will lose their competitive edge when applying for college, university and technical schools. The district will receive less funding next year from the state than it did five years ago.
During the same period, expenses and state mandates have increased. Class sizes have increased and will continue to do so. Elective programs have been cut. On February 3, 2010, 56.9 full-time teaching positions were selected for release at the end of this school year. The AUHSD must reduce its budget by $4.8 million.
Consequently, AUHSD will no longer be offering students a seven-period school day. There will be insufficient state and local funding available to support these additional sections. Additionally, six-period day course options must be reduced.
Nationwide, admissions officers respect AUHSD students. This year the University of California, as well as other prestigious colleges and universities, received its highest number of applicants in its history. This is happening at the same time that our students will be losing the advantage of a strong high school transcript.
At the request of parent and community leaders, the AUHSD Governing Board approved a resolution to submit the Emergency Education Act of 2010 (Measure A) for community consideration. Measure A has a life span of five years at $112 per parcel. This May 4 vote will determine if the district will finalize all its program cuts by the mandated May 15 deadline and provide AUHSD students with a less-competitive high school education.
The AUHSD community will decide whether to let their schools become the victim of the morass Sacramento has become. I know of no more important factor in determining the quality of life for a city or town than the strength of its schools. Local support for the truly vibrant programs needed to prepare students for a global society is essential to offer a 21st Century education.

John Stockton, Superintendent, AUHSD