Give up your car and ride a bike

To the editor:

I would like to clarify any misconceptions that could have come from last Wednesday's article about the upcoming paved path through Red Rock Canyon. This scenic path is being designed to meander through the canyon providing safe, recreational opportunities for runners, bikers, kids, dog walkers and families.

As an instigator of the project, and also a bike shop owner and avid cyclist, I can assure you that this is a project welcomed by cyclists and non-cyclists alike. Many people have come together to get this project started and look forward to making it a reality with the help of the Bureau of Land Management and Sen. Harry Reid's open space grant.

A separated bike and pedestrian path is not a novel concept. In fact, Las Vegas falls behind its neighboring city, Henderson, and its neighboring states, Utah, Arizona, Colorado and California, who have way more separated bike paths and more road bikers as well. While the road bikers in these places continue to ride in the bike lanes on the roads, the separated bike paths are happily being used by others who appreciate the choice to ride, run or walk in the beautiful outdoors away from traffic. The BLM is doing this for us, to provide further recreation opportunities, not to take away from anything we already have.

The first priority is to give road bikers room to ride outside of the lines of traffic. And gratefully, that priority was followed through by NDOT with the construction of an official 8-foot wide bike lane. Now that that's done, we are starting on the other public need for a safe, recreational path separate from the road. I know hundreds of caring cyclists who would love to help their friends and families with an opportunity such as this.

Similar paved recreation paths in surrounding areas are very popular and historically well-maintained. We can all agree, Las Vegas desperately needs more healthy, clean, green recreational opportunities. There has never been a better time for people to ditch their family cars and fossil fuels for a nice, peaceful bike ride or walk in our beautiful desert scenery.

Heather Fisher

BLUE DIAMOND

It's your money

To the editor:

In the Thursday article "Electric mowers move quickly," you reported: "A $187,000 state grant made the $400 mowers available for $99."

You should have substituted the words "taxpayer money" for the words "state grant."

J.H. Caubo

IVINS, UTAH

Treating autism

To the editor:

I have read with interest Wednesday's Associated Press article on autism and the controversy of metal-based therapy. While my heart is definitely tugged by this debate, I am an outside observer of this issue because my son is no longer plagued with the confines of autism. Just nine years ago I was a parent listening to the thundering words, "Your son is autistic." Our family was atypical in that we refrained from immunizing our children at the time prescribed by their pediatrician, but our son was exposed to mercury and other metals in other ways. When tested, he was found to have high levels of metal in his body.

I engaged in every form of therapy I could lay my hands on. I researched, called on physicians, did more research and prayed fervently for this stranglehold to be lifted from my son. I finally found doctors whose words rang true to me. Carefully using chelation therapy and cleansing my son's intestinal tract finally brought him out of autism. Today, he is a healthy, happy 10-year-old, but I continue to be observant and vigilant about his diet.

Science today would have us believe that there is a cookie cutter therapy for everyone with a specific condition. For many ailments that may be true, but autism is a lone giant. It has affected a huge portion of our children because of their susceptibilities and it must be extinguished cautiously and individually, case by case. My heart goes out to every family struggling with this condition. They must not be made to feel as though they are being excessive or jeopardizing the health of their child.

Your article mentions that only 5 percent of the autism research budget has been directed to alternative treatments. Why is that? Because a few men and women in a sanitized office think "safe" is easier than "cured"? Families who have used these therapies and others know they work. Please don't stigmatize us for knowing that there is something more out there for our children that doesn't necessarily follow conventional treatment protocols. Chelation was the main therapy strategy that pulled my son from autism. I know it works.

Krista Vance

HENDERSON