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Save Pleasanton Youth Theater Company
The proposed defunding of Pleasanton Youth Theater Company as a consequence of the City of Pleasanton’s budget deficit would be a substantive loss for our city, our local children and our area’s future vibrancy.
PYTC is the longtime in-house theater program for Pleasanton youth, serving kids ages 5-19 through year-round programming.
My 9-year-old daughter began performing in PYTC’s Sparks program in 2022 and has since performed in six shows with the company. Over our three years with the program, I have seen tangible effects of her PYTC experiences on her self-confidence, willingness to take creative risks and sense of discipline.
As important, through the safe and welcoming PYTC environment, I’ve seen her cement meaningful new friendships with kids from across our community that she may never have met otherwise.
Pleasanton has plenty of options for children who want to participate in sports, but there aren’t a lot of options when it comes to the arts. Especially at a time when Pleasanton Unified School District is considering cutting elementary school music due to its own budget crisis, I urge the Pleasanton City Council to do the right thing for the children of our community and to renew funding for PYTC.
— Meredith Kiernan
Anti-Semitism
As Jews and as Americans, we decry the Trump/Musk administration’s attempts to deport a green card holder for expressing opinions opposed to the current government.
As Americans, we support the rights of everyone to speak peaceably about controversial subjects without fear of retribution. As Jews, we know that the oppression of anyone means that society isn’t safe for Jews.
We further demand that the administration stop using supposed anti-Semitism as a reason for punishing their opposition. Jews will not be used as an excuse for unAmerican and anti-constitutional government actions.
— Rabbi Judith Seid, for Tri-Valley Cultural Jews
Kudos for Livermore’s downtown renaissance
I loved reading Jude Strzemp’s feature on downtown Livermore! As the article reveals, Livermore’s downtown has evolved into a vibrant, fun place to go; I can attest to that. What the town’s leaders and planners have accomplished is terrific, and it seems like it’s just the beginning.
As Jude’s article highlights, much more is planned to make their’s a destination town with the development of Blacksmith’s Square and surrounds. It goes to show how good vision and planning can turn a downtown around.
Being a longtime resident of Pleasanton (and formerly Livermore), I only hope Pleasanton can learn from Livermore’s success; as Livermore has progressed, Pleasanton has regressed. I look forward to reading more of your Downtown Series!
— David Zimpfer
How about a warning notice?
Might I suggest that you put a warning notice on your header for the Opinion/Letters page? That warning should read: “Warning: Some letters on this page may make you nauseous.”
I am referring in particular to the one reader who posts weekly. In his delirium he espouses the many perceived attributes of his President and suggests that we all “Thank God” for this wonderful man.
Like I’m saying. Warning notice. Makes me want to puke.
— Ronald Wacek
How we oppose this
Are the Democrats done for? The Republicans surely are. So how do we oppose this?
President Donald Trump is responsible for one of the most disruptive periods of modern history, and in the process has rendered moot and ineffectual both of the two major parties in our two-party system. The entire country and the world must deal with this disruption. How do we?
1. Support the journalists: I am not interested in empty debates about media bias; that has existed for centuries and is not limited to either side of the aisle. We must support responsible journalists and make sure that independent news agencies continue to operate to potential.
2. Time for the independents? The Democrats are saddled by wokeism, irrespective of the validity of the ideology. The Republicans have lost their soul. And both parties have no idea how to deal with Trumpism. I have been wondering my entire adult life if our political system could ever accommodate a viable third party, and now with everything broken, might it be time for independent voices to take hold?
At a minimum, we need leadership from moderate figures from each party. I am looking to our own Eric Swalwell to step up.
3. It’s a marathon, not a sprint: I hear and feel the frustration of “somebody do something already”, but nobody’s inaction can be blamed for the chaos we are enduring now. Opposition has to accept that this is a long game; it is not possible to hold outrage until the midterms. It is not humanly possible to act with intensity for four years.
Ironically, few people know this better than Trump. As horrible a human being as he is, nobody matches his competitive and predatory instincts or his sense of timing. Case in point: Trump announced his candidacy in November of 2022, after his party lost the midterms and after nearly every MAGA candidate lost. Prior to that, he was almost invisible for 18 months. He knew that his battle was a marathon, not a sprint.
The opposition needs to appreciate that now.
— Rick Altman
Pleasanton council shows early support for annexation, downtown plan, other priority projectsMarch 25, 2026 2:36 pm
Nighttime lane closures on I-580 near Pleasanton, I-680 through San Ramon ValleyMarch 25, 2026 2:05 pm