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Disappointed in council
As a 48-year resident of Pleasanton, I am extremely disappointed in the City Council’s failure to make a resolution regarding a potential ICE detention facility in Dublin. An ICE detention facility is not welcome here.
It might be a different matter if:
* DHS was actually getting “the worst of the worst”,
* conditions at ICE detention facilities were humane and subject to inspection at any time,
* detainees were given due process, as they are entitled to by law and by the constitution,
* were treated humanely, with dignity and all their rights were protected,
* immigrants doing it “the right way” were not pounced upon in courthouses,
* immigrants were truly a primary source of crime, rather than a group much less likely to commit crimes, and
* brutality and cruelty wasn’t the point.
I peacefully protest in our community twice a week most weeks, as is my First Amendment right. Some protests are small; others are several thousand strong. In the 75+ protests I have attended, I have never witnessed any violence, aggression, or angry provocation.
However, in news coverage of protests where tear gas, rubber bullets and violent takedowns take place, there is one similarity: the presence of ICE officers, who have been trained to use these tactics without provocation. We have witnessed two murders by ICE agents with our own eyes with no accountability, which results in license and permission to continue their brutality.
We do not want to invite any of this into our community.
I hope the Pleasanton council members will reconsider making a resolution. It is my fervent belief that this is the most consequential, most dire issue ever faced by the Pleasanton City Council. It takes precedence over all other issues.
– Laurie Herbert
Donlon field
I am a resident of Payne Road and have lived in the home my parents purchased with a GI Bill in the 1970s. As a nearby resident, I never received any mailed notice about a proposal to sell or lease the back field. I only became aware of this possibility after reading the Pleasanton Weekly article.
A couple of summers ago, our neighborhood met on site with PUSD school board members, local Realtors and the Mayor to oppose the sale or lease of this land. At that time, we were told the land would be used as a neighborhood park. That commitment is important to many of us who live here.
Val Vista is constructed almost entirely of single-story homes, with only a small number of second-story additions. Our streets are narrow, and traffic is already heavily impacted by school drop-off and pick-up. I am very concerned that any new development on this site would worsen congestion, parking and safety issues, especially given its close proximity to the elementary school.
This field has long been part of the neighborhood and school community. I attended Donlon, my children attended Donlon, and the back field has been used for Field Day, Halloween activities, soccer games, frisbee and kite flying over the years.
It is not just vacant land – it is a meaningful community space.
I strongly support using the back field for recreation rather than selling or leasing it for development. I would like to see it preserved as a multi-use community field for sports such as soccer, track and lacrosse, with adequate parking, trees to offset paved areas and safe bike access.
Please preserve this land for the neighborhood and community use.
I urge you to reject any sale or lease for development and instead dedicate this land as a permanent community recreational space.
– Linda Taylor Deike
Election coverage, thank you!
Thank you to you and your team of writers for the coverage of local elections. I found your paper to be an excellent source to learn about local East Bay elections and I appreciated your clear, informative presentation of the candidates.
Particularly of use was information regarding the candidates for Superior Court Judges. Thank you for your direct and unbiased coverage of these important elections.
– Nicole Ogden
Sick of the speeders
I submitted an opinion around Christmas regarding the speeding on Ray Street. After that, a speed check was put out on the street. It did absolutely nothing.
The other morning when I was walking my dogs, people were going so fast. I am sure that one of the cars was going at least 60 mph so that they could catch a green light.
It is sad that we have to just deal with this. Someone is going to get killed. People also continue to run red lights not just downtown but all over the city.
What is it going to take for people to realize that a car is a weapon? Please slow down or leave earlier. There is no need to be driving that fast. Period!
– Kelli Bruns
Don’t let polluters off the hook for toxic coal ash
I think that it is a tragedy that the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing dangerous rollbacks to coal ash protections that would endanger the health of communities across the country.
Coal ash, the toxic waste produced from burning coal, contains arsenic, mercury, lead, and other hazardous pollutants that are linked to cancer and serious illness.
Why does the Environmental Protection Agency not care about human life? Is it because getting richer is more important than living a healthy life?
For decades, utilities dumped this waste into unlined ponds and landfills, allowing it to leak into drinking water. Strong federal safeguards put in place in 2015 and expanded in 2024 finally began holding polluters accountable. Now, those protections are being dismantled, exempting hundreds of toxic dump sites and allowing companies to delay or avoid cleanup altogether.
This is a direct threat to public health. Industry data already shows that groundwater at most coal plant sites is contaminated above federal safety standards. Weakening these rules only ensures more pollution, more illness, and more communities left to deal with the consequences.
The EPA’s job is to protect people, not corporate polluters. We must speak out and demand that these safeguards remain in place. Our health, our water and our future depend on it.
– Jeremiah Anderson
