// Tonight we have a note from Susan Peete. 
// At the end of the digest, is another note from Susan, in which she
// has forwarded to us some of the messages she received from Bill'
// cycling friends at the accident.
// We also have a concert report, and more.
// Enjoy  [BP]

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: NN: To the nicest people on the net
   Date: Sun, 04 Aug 2002 17:05:27 -0700
   From: Susan Peete (suepeete@cruzio.com>

My dear friends,

I wish I could find the words to express how deeply I've been touched by all
the outpour of love and kindness you all have shown me and my family. It has
been a great comfort to my family to know that Bill was so well liked and to
learn how many lives Bill had touched in one way or another.

I have just returned home after a week with relatives and childhood friends in
the southern California town "Thousand Oaks" where Bill and I met and fell in
love. Two days into the visit I found myself in desperate need to be alone. So
I disappeared for a couple of days after reassuring everyone that I'll be OK. I
stayed in a motel overlooking the ocean, watching children, full of life, play
on the beach below. I did a lot of walking, crying and hearing the music in my
head that Bill and I loved so very much.

Thirty years of marriage, I never imaged my life without Bill, he was my
"everything" and here I am without him now. My heart aches, I miss him, his
smile, his silly jokes, his I love you's, his loving hugs. The nights are hard
and the mornings. I wake up from a sleep, not quite full awake, thinking I just
had a bad dream, just to look over expecting to see him, and realizing I'm on
his side and he's not there.

I'm so grateful to have so many people EVERYWHERE to reach out to. All the
cards, flowers, phone calls, letters, emails, stories of Bill, prayers,
thoughts, donations, support, and the show of love through the tears, have
meant so very much to me. Thank you all. NanciNet is a very special place. It's
all of you that make it special. 

Special Thank you to Susan Krauss for notifying everyone of the details, She
was a tremendous help and comfort to me. She's a wonderful friend. I'll never
forget it.

And to Donate for the beautiful song she wrote and fed-ex it to me overnight,
so that it would arrive in time for Bill's funeral. It came just moments before
I had to leave for the service. I had just a minute to popped it in the stereo
to listen to it. I fell in love with it instantly. It was so perfect for Bill.
It was titled "Sleep Now, Sweet Prince" with a dedication "To a fellow
NanciNetter Bill Peete, who caught a blackbird's wing much to early to fly to
heaven." It was so beautifully performed and I will cherish that song forever.
Thank you Donate 

To Nanci and the members of the The Bluemoon Orchestra for the flowers, cards,
and donation to Maggie's fund in memory of Bill. But most of all for the music
that brought Bill and I in touch with the nicest people on the net. Thank you
Nanci and the Bluemoon Orchestra.

Love you all,

God Bless Flyer

Sue

In loving Memory of Bill Peete:
http://members.cruzio.com/~billpeet/

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: NN: Nanci in chi town review
   Date: Mon, 5 Aug 2002 15:08:26 -0400
   From: "Hardis, Andy (CAP, PTL)" (Andy.Hardis@penske.com>

Although the Navy Pier was packed with people, the Skyline Stage was probably a
little over half full. There were many empty seats in the front center section,
most likely due to season ticket holders that didn't show. Kind off p*ssed me
off, but Oh Well. There was an impressive fireworks display right off the pier
after the show.

The Show....  

Both Todd and Nanci were great! Todd's set was a bit short but he was
impressive and did well with the situation (short set, people still being
seated, not really his type of crowd). 

Some highlights of Todd Snider's set:
Todd Snider kind of reminds me of Steve Goodman in a way, which is good to see
in Chicago, Steve being from Chicago and all. Todd has an amazing musical
talent and he's funny too. The song that sticks out is called 'Anywhere' and
it's off his new CD 'New Connection'. This is a love song and you can tell
everyone (especially the woman) was just eating this one up. Another crowd
pleaser was 'Statistician's Blues', which is a humorous song about relating the
desperate human condition to statistics. He also has a remarkable song called
'DB Cooper' in which Todd tells you that, although DB Cooper has never been
found and is presumed dead, he knows different. Todd finished off with his
trademark 'Alright Guy', which has already been covered by numerous artist who
have all tried to somehow creatively dodge the line about smoking dope. If you
don't have this guys stuff, GET IT! 

Nanci played a much longer set than Todd and her voice was remarkable. She is
the only artist who really brings on my tears of emotion when she performs. Her
second song was 'Love At The Five And Dime' which is one of my favorites and I
think this song is somewhat autobiographical, but maybe I'm completely off base
here. But is kind of reminds me of her and Eric Taylor and how they have
remained best friends through all their trials and such. She also did a Townse
song, 'White Freight Liner', which she did very well. A weird thing she did
then, she kind of talked to Townse as if he was right there on stage with her.
And she did a kick *ss 'From A Distance', A World Anthem Of Peace' as she calls
it, in which her voice was strong and emotional. Then before she did 'It's A
Hard Life Where Ever You Go' she talked about her trip to Kosovo and learning
that racism there is 'like a razor blade passed down from generation to
generation', she also talked a bit about her grandmother and how that was her
favorite song because it showed how she could be concerned about global issues
at an early age. Nanci also has a new song that she does by Julie Gold called
'Goodbye, New York', which Nanci feels compelled to sing at this time in her
life. Also, she seems more comfortable now, than last September when I saw her
live, with her new stuff (such as 'Clock Without Hands'), probably just more
practice. 

She also has a new song about going men going through a divorce, which will be
on the new live recording coming out later this year, that she wrote in
response to a bunch of her ex-boyfriends that are now going though a divorce
and calling her at all hours of the day and night. And she looked great too! 

The world is for sure a better place because of Nanci Griffith.

Andy

If you're not taking risks, you're not livin' Nanci Griffith tells us this just
before she sings Richard Thompson's 'The Wall Of Death'

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: NN: Nanci in Boston
   Date: Sat, 03 Aug 2002 09:39:04 -0400
   From: "James Troiano" (James_Troiano@umit.maine.edu>

Hi folks: To all those people who plan to see Nanci at the Boston Folk
Festival  be aware that she changed her performance from Sat. Sept. 21 to Sun.
Sept. 22. Wendy and I planned to see her on Saturday, but we had to cancel out
because we would never be able to get back to Maine by Monday if we saw the
Sunday performance.  Boston loves her so I hope that there are some
Nancinetters out there who will tell us what it is like.  Jim

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: NN: Re: Ticket Prices
   Date: Fri, 2 Aug 2002 09:03:37 -0800
   From: "James P Dixon" (jpdixon@usgs.gov>

I avoided the ticket surcharge for my front row tickets to see Nanci in
Fairbanks, AK.  The folks who put on folk concerts here
(http://www.acousticadventures.com/) have a season pass that this years
includes Nanci Griffith which gives you a reserved seat (even for general
admission shows) upfront for a reasonable cost and no waiting in lines.

Jim

Jim Dixon
dixon@ieee.org

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: NN: Oh dear.
   Date: Fri, 02 Aug 2002 23:40:29 -0400
   From: Tony Cox (tonycox@pacific.net.au>

Just heard Toby Keith.  And an accompanying feature on the
popularity and success he's enjoying.  Yikes!

Tony "better button it right there" Cox

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Re: NN: D-I-V-O-R-C-E
   Date: Mon, 5 Aug 2002 21:52:24 -0700 (PDT)
   From: angeladybug (angeladybug@yahoo.com>

Anyone heard John Hiatt's "Crossing Muddy Waters"? 
It's my favorite divorce album I think...I heard he
had just gotten divorced from his wife when he wrote
all those songs?  Depressing, some of them, but very
good.

Tracy in New York, soon to be back in Austin

=====
**********************************************************
i caught wind and hit the road running
and lord i've been a long time gone

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: NN: Nanci's beauty [was "RE: Nanci in Chicago"]
   Date: Fri, 02 Aug 2002 09:14:03 -0400
   From: ntricate1@comcast.net

-----
Mike Barrett wisely typed: 
> Seems to me that saying Nanci is kind of cute is 
> like saying Stephen Hawking is kind of clever   :) 
-----

I personally think Nanci 
has a luminous kind of beauty. 
~And~ that she's the kind of gal who 
would blush to hear someone say so. 

Maryann from VA / USA

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: NN: FS: Joan Baez Tickets (Wente/Livermore CA 8/27/2002)
   Date: Sun, 4 Aug 2002 10:47:19 -0700
   From: "Susan Krauss" (sekrauss@attbi.com>

(Sorry for those who are not in the area but I thought some folks here might be
interested - and sorry if you see this more than once!)

I have two tickets for Joan Baez at Wente Vineywards in Livermore on Tuesday,
August 27th for sale.  Her show at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga is sold out.

These are Terrace Seats Row B (no dinner) and I'm selling them for cost - $118
(I'll pick up the fees).

I'm sorry to miss this show but I also have Bruce Springsteen tickets for that
night and Joan tours a lot more than Bruce!

susan in alameda
Note new email address:  sekrauss@attbi.com

// Susan may have already had a taker for her tickets, 
// but it's worth a shot...[BP]

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: NN: Nanci's Beauty
   Date: Fri, 02 Aug 2002 09:50:57 -0500
   From: "Jack Webb" (jwebb714@hotmail.com>

Due to the recent comments about Nanci's beauty, I thought I'd throw out this
longtime observation.  From the first time I saw Nanci, I've thought that she
looked remarkably like an actress named Janet Munro, who died at the age of 38
in 1972.  Janet was in several Walt Disney movies, such as  "Darby O'Gill and
The Little People" and "Swiss Family Robinson".  She was also in some pretty
good sci-fi movies, such as "The Day The Earth Caught Fire" and "The Crawling
Eye".  From a very young age, I've always thought that Janet, who was English,
was very pretty, as of course is Nanci.  Just some thoughts.

Jack
Nashville

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: NN: D-I-V-O-R-C-E
   Date: Mon, 5 Aug 2002 13:21:34 -0700 (PDT)
   From: Reid Mitchell (reidmitchell@yahoo.com>

The fine account of Nanci's last concert, which mentioned she's writing divorce
songs made me start thinking about divorce songs and divorce albums.  Off the
top of my head, the best too albums that clearly deal with divorce I can think
of are Willie Nelson's PHASES AND STAGES and Linda and Richard Thompson's SHOOT
OUT THE LIGHTS.  Frank Sinatra's WEE SMALL HOURS is usually taken to be his
"divorce" album, and BLOOD ON THE TRACKS is Dylan's.  I can't remember if
Mitchell's BLUE is about an actual divorce or not.

Also, off the top of my head, my favorite divorce song for right now is Paul
Simon's "Hearts and Bones."

Finally, it seems to me that if SHOOT OUT THE LIGHTS is a divorce album, "Wall
of Death," its concluding song, sorta equates marriage with the wall of death
and the breakup of a marriage with Death-its-own-self.

Reid "Veteran in the Divorce Wars" Mitchell

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: NN: what happened
   Date: Sun, 04 Aug 2002 17:05:56 -0700
   From: Susan Peete (suepeete@cruzio.com>

Many people have asked me what happened. Bill's bicycle buddies have told
the story on the mailing list that they are on. Below is two emails that
were posted to the list. This list is much like NanciNet. Like family and
close. Couple of these gentlemen (like Benjamin) will always have a special
place in my heart for the great effort they made to bring life back into
Bill. Benjamin has had a rough time of it, and my prayers are with him and
the others, as well.

When I was told the details (below) over the phone by two of his friends, I
couldn't cry. It really scared me. I felt numb. It was like a part of me
shut down or something. That night in bed the details kept coming back and
by 3:00 in the morning I fell apart. The day after the funeral they had a
memorial bike ride for Bill. They climbed a hill called "The Wall". They
wrapped flowers around their handlebars. At the top, they shared stories of
Bill.

Love to you all,

Sue
____________________________________________________________________
Subject: AV: fatal bike accident in Alviso
Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2002 00:19:34 +0000

As most of you know by now, there was a tragic bicycle
accident yesterday 7/18/02 on Zanker Road Southbound
in Alviso during the lunchtime 'Alviso Loop' or 'Dump
Run' ride that many of us attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
 A coworker and friend, Bill Peete died after a
collision with a Nissan pickup truck that was
traveling Southbound at about 40-50 mph.  Bill was an
extremely nice gentleman that loved to ride his bike
and never had anything bad to say about anybody.  He had a giant
smile and an even bigger heart.  He was an experienced
cyclist and had raced, and won, master's races locally
over the past 10-15 years.  The grief that this
incident has left us all with is extraordinary.

We were approaching the third of three sprints (but
not yet sprinting) going southbound on Zanker Road. 
The pack was about 25 strong.  I had just pulled for
several miles and dropped off the pack to let everyone
else sprint and race for the last 1k headed towards
the highway (237) overpass.  As I drifted off the
pack, I saw Bill at the back of the pack, sitting in
the draft.  The pack was taking up the single Southbound lane,
and no vehicles were coming northbound (there are
double-yellow lines in the road and not much shoulder
on either side).  The pack was travelling
30+ (maybe 33-34mph).  I was about 200ft. off the back
when this happened.

At the same time that a red Nissan pickup truck had
decided to cross the double yellow lines and pass the
pack, Bill had seemingly started to slow down from the
pack and abruptly made a banking left - as if to
make a quick one-lane U-turn.  Rumor has it that he
dropped a personal belonging and had decided to turn
back to get it.  Whether or not Bill looked over his
shoulder to the left and didn't see anything coming,
miscalculated, or didn't think he would have to look
for traffic coming over the double-yellow line, we
will never know.  Bill did turn directly left and was
perpendicular to the truck an instant before he was struck.
Both him and the truck were across the line and the
driver did not have a chance to hit his brakes before
impact.

Bill's bike was shattered into pieces and he was sent
over the truck as it was driving at full speed.  The
impact was extremely severe and Bill's body motion
before hitting the ground was indicative of the 
grimness of the physical trauma that he had received.

Since this all happened behind the pack, with the wind
whirring in everyone's ears, the pack kept rolling
away to the overpass and out of sight.  Only about 5
or 6 of us saw or heard the incident and stopped.  Benjamin and
one other ran over to perform CPR and try to call 911.
 I stopped all traffic and was demanding everyone call
911.  Some of the Alviso and truck-driver population
that was stopped in their trucks and cars on the road
did not understand and were more concerned with trying
to get their trucks through the road.  We stopped
them, four people reached 911 after the lines were on
hold for minutes!

It seemed like an eternity, but it must have been
10-15 minutes before a fire truck showed up.  Later
(and I do mean LATER), an ambulance showed up.  There
were still no police on the scene!  Finally a few cops trickled
in and started making order of the situation.  Bill
was not removed from the scene and that is when the
terrible outcome was finally told to me.
 I couldn't look.

The driver was a 20 year old guy from Alviso that had
his little daughter and the daughter's mother in the
car.  I'm assuming this was his family.
 He was very upset and crying.  He obviously was not
trying to be malicious, but must have not realized the
severe risk that he was taking by crossing the lines
and trying to pass a pack of cyclists.  He was driven
off by the police after a long time.  He was not
drunk, just very upset.  The wife had some specks of
blood on her face, I am assuming from glass shattered
in the windshield during the collision.

Being Bill's coworker, friend, and the one that had
the closest and full view of the incident, I remained
at the scene per order of the police and gave witness
accounts to the investigator on the scene.  It took
several hours before they let me go.  I rolled away
very slowly and then had to tell the guys at work.  It
was a very difficult day.  There are 7 or 8 guys at
work that ride with Bill and several of us knew him for
years.  A couple of the guys here have known him for
over ten years.

When I hear about funeral arrangements from Bill's
family, I will be sure to forward them.  Given
permission by the family, I will be encouraging
all of the riders interested to attend a
non-conflicting lunchtime ride up Calaveres Road
during next week to have a moment of silence for Bill
and to encourage people to share their words with
others.  There are a lot of great things to say about
Bill and they should be said.  The cycling community
is a giant family in this neck of the woods and every
time that an incident like this occurs, we are all
reminded about the danger and risk that is involved in
what we do.

Ride safely,
Keith Szolusha
Los Altos, CA 
____________________________________________________

Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2002 23:10:19 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Fwd: Fatal Bicycle Accident in Alviso today

Hi Sue,

I am forwarding you an email I wrote yesterday to my
team/club members.  I tried to provide an accurate
account of what I saw and experienced.  

You sound like a very strong lady.  I know you and
your family will pull through this.  Bill is in a
better place now.  

Sincerely,

Benjamin

> Subject: Fatal Bicycle Accident in Alviso today
> Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 16:26:08 -0700 (PDT)
> 
> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I have a very sad news to share with you.  There was
> a fatal accident today on our noontime Alviso training
> ride.  It involves one of the regulars.  I won't
> share his name until his family is notified.
> 
> I saw it happen and still can't believe it.  We were
> doing our last lap on the straight stretch of north
> Zanker road just north of Hwy 237.  When the pack was
> heading south doing its usual high-speed sprint right
> in front of the water pollution control plant, a red
> pickup truck with a family of 3 zoomed by us, also
> heading south.  I was behind the pack and saw the
> truck circumvent the pack and then I heard the tires
> squeal, saw how our friend got hit by it hard, and saw 
> how high and far he flew.  The impact smashed the
> trucks' windshield.  The force of the impact made our
> friend do a "helicopter rotar sping" with his body
> parallel to the ground.  He was at least 10 feet off
> the ground.  He flew 30 to 50 feet.  And then I saw
> how hard he landed.  He was like a rag doll.  His bike
> was in pieces.  I said "Shit!" and rode to him right away.  
> 
> I was the first to reach him after he landed on the
> ground, and I didn't have a very good feeling about
> his situation then.  I jumped off my bike.  He was
> still breathing when i reached him.  I asked him if he 
> could hear me, but there was no response and he was
> not moving.  I whipped out my cellphone and screamed
> at the 911 dispatch to send someone over fast. I felt
> the situation was too critical.  I didn't move him
> until the dispatch asked me to do mouth-to-mouth and
> then CPR.  With the help of another rider named David
> Anthony and a third rider, we gave him mouth-to-mouth
> and did CPR.  We did it for perhaps 5 minutes, but we
> couldn't resucitate him.  I looked at his retina and
> they were opened wide.  I said "Fuck!"  I looked at
> his skin color and it was pale and turning waxy.  My
> heart sank and my stomach started to hurt.  I looked
> at the victim's face -- he had this expression of
> shock and disbelief.  His eyes were wide open and was
> looking straight into the sky.  All I
> could do was hold his hand and pray.  When the
> paramedics arrived they also couldn't get him to
> respond.  They finally pronounced him dead.  This was
> around 1 p.m. or so.  And the whole accident, from 
> when he got hit to when he landed, lasted 3 seconds or so.
> 
> I am sorry, sad, angry, and bewildered at the same
> time.  I can't get the image out of my head. 
> Especially his facial expression.
> 
> This is the second time that I've had someone slip
> away in my hands.  No amount of CPR or mouth-to-mouth
> helped in either case.  Obviously, no matter how I
> feel, I can't even imagine what our friend's family
> will have to go through.
> 
> The police took statemens from me and another witness,
> Keith Szolusha (Alto Velo).  Since there is a death
> involved, they are treating the accident site as a
> crime scene.  They took away the driver of the pickup
> truck.  The driver's wife and daughter (about 5 or 7
> in age) stayed with the truck.  When I rode by them
> after all this commotion, they had a look of sorrow. 
> I was told by one of the employees of the water
> pollution control plant that one of their security
> cameras has caught some of the accident on tape.  The
> police has a copy of that tape now.
> 
> Please be careful on the road.  This is a sad, sad day.
> 
> Benjamin Niu
> San Jose Bicycle Club

-----------------------------------------------------------------



Questions about NanciNet?  Send e-mail to bpage@yahoo.com