Letters Letters (January 09, 2004)

Pro baseball? Sign me up!

Editor,

Those vacationing or just skimming the Dec. 19 issue before holiday shopping might have missed Jeb Bing's opening salvo about the prospects for bringing organized baseball to Pleasanton (it can be read at http://www.altman.com/baseball). I can think of no better use for the Bernal public lands and am jumping up and down and shouting in favor of this opportunity.

There are so many positives from this initiative, I hardly know where to start. Those who have never been to a San Jose Giants game may not know that minor league baseball is wonderful family entertainment, many times easier and more affordable than a trip to see either of our major league teams. The prospect of being able to ride bikes to a game, sit 20 feet from home plate, and vie for foul balls is enough to turn any of us into kids again.

Here is some advice for the opponents of California Splash: jump on this bandwagon now. Most of us who are neutral or even mildly in favor of the controversial water park would dump it in a second to get a local baseball team instead. There would be virtually zero impact on local roads, far less cut-through traffic, and a totally different breed of clientele.

Please provide more coverage on this exciting community opportunity and tell me how I can become a loud supporter. The first chance I get, I'll be applying for the position of the team's director of promotions, not to mention stadium announcer. Rick AltmanHarvest Road Mayor isn't listening

Editor,

It turns out that Mayor Pico is a supporter of the California Splash Water Park. Mayor Pico's Web site states, "driving his decisions has always been Quality of Life for the people who elected him. His passion for enhancing and preserving that quality of life is evidenced by the 11 open-space related ballot measures Tom has written." It also states that one of Mayor Pico's endorsers is East Bay Regional Parks District Ward 3 Director, Carol M. Severin. The East Bay Regional Park District is the major supporter of the California Splash Water Park. The East Bay Regional Park District and the developer of this park will be the only ones who profit from this park.

It seems that Mayor Pico isn't listening to the citizens of Pleasanton and what really drives his decisions are what his endorsers can do for him.

We, the citizens of Pleasanton, do not want this park in our city. Briana SchererPleasanton

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