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Some familiar public activities are returning to Pleasanton in the days ahead.
Organizers announced Monday that the downtown farmers’ market will reopen on Saturday (May 9) and the city-owned Callippe Preserve Golf Course will welcome golfers starting on Wednesday morning (May 6) — both of which have been closed for nearly two months amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
With the revised shelter order from Alameda County health officials, the city’s public tennis courts, skate park and BMX track are also set to reopen within the next week or so.
“The health and safety of Pleasanton residents is our priority, which is why we have been working with the Pleasanton Farmers’ Market and golf course operators to ensure all county and state health protocols are being met before reopening this week,” Pleasanton City Manager Nelson Fialho told the Weekly.
“We are applying those same standards as we work to find a way to safely reopen other park amenities like the BMX park, skate park and tennis courts. We anticipate those facilities will gradually open starting the week of May 11th or sooner,” Fialho added.
For a full rundown of city status updates, visit the city’s COVID-19 webpage.
Farmers’ market
The Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association will be bringing back its weekly farmers’ market in downtown Pleasanton starting on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. — with a new configuration and new guidelines for safety reasons during the COVID-19 crisis.
“Working closely with local officials, we have made changes to the farmers’ market to ensure that all regulations in the shelter-in-place order are being followed and added our own rules that will additionally protect the Pleasanton community,” association officials said on Monday.
Among the most notable changes is requiring face coverings, no produce sampling, no live entertainment, more space between booths, no pets and resituating the booths to only one side of Main Street and continuing into the railroad corridor.
Also, the first hour of the market (9-10 a.m.) will be reserved exclusively for residents 60 years old or older and “those most at risk” during the pandemic, according to the association.
In addition to the strict rules, the association also encourages residents to follow key guidelines while at the market, such as shop quickly to limit crowding, avoid socializing, wait outside of the booth for your turn and maintain six feet of space from other shoppers.
See the full list of farmers’ market rules and guidelines during the COVID-19 crisis on the PCFMA safety webpage.
Callippe Preserve Golf Course
The city-owned Callippe Preserve Golf Course in Pleasanton will reopen for golfers — city residents only — starting this Wednesday morning.
“Over the last several days since Alameda County announced a slight changing of restrictions which will allow golf in a modified form, we have been focused on preparing the facilities to meet and exceed all the county requirements,” course management said in an email Monday.
Other key operational changes, implemented for safety reasons, include single golfers only (unless in same household), walking only (no golf carts), credit card payments only, driving range at 50% capacity, all ball washers and rakes removed to reduce touch points, and the cups will be raised above ground level with the flagsticks to remain in place.
“This is just the first step in our phased reopening and we thank all of you for your continued patience as we slowly reopen the golf course to ensure we are able to provide our first priority of health and safety,” management said.
To see the full list of rules, visit the Callippe golf website.
Who is going to enforce the rules at the farmers market? Ensure masks are on, no pets, etc? Sounds like a lot to enforce and monitor.
Good Luck City of Pleasanton in trying to get people to follow social distancing / masks.
This is the City of Character / the dominant character traits being self centeredness, self importance and entitlement.
While many will do their best, the same selfish people who have not followed the rules up to this point will not follow them at the farmers market.
Everyone remember the masks you wear are to protect others from you and do not protect you from others.
I’m optimistic that people will follow the rules and that the farmers market will be able to stay open. There’s always hope.
I am very happy to read that the Farmer’s Market is re-opening! It has been almost 2 months of aged Grocery store produce!
Open the skatepark!
I am glad that the Farmer’s Market is reopening. I, too, am curious about compliance with the new rules–for years many market customers have been bringing pets through the market in defiance of the rather obvious signage.
Good news
It’s good to see Pleasanton’s decision makers have recognized that our valiant wartime president has vanquished the enemy and made it safe once again to pack ourselves into dense crowds. With the virus in full retreat and herd immunity achieved, essentials like organic scallions and kettle corn will once again be available so purchase without danger. And the best part is, months from now we will be able to look back and congratulate ourselves on how smart this move it was.
“Amity” means friendship, you know!
Wait!!! So their goin to open up farmers market, but for golf it’s singles only!!! Makes no since.
Yes, the Pleasanton coronavirus carnage continues. Schools being shuttered. Businesses closed. People thrown out of work. Everyone’s lives disrupted. All to reduce the horrible body count due to the dreaded bubonic plague-like coronavirus which thus far has resulted in a Pleasanton body count of dead Pleasantonians of …….let’s see……oh, need a bit more time here…..and a couple of more sheets of paper……..ZERO!
“Sometimes sarcasm helps us to think more clearly” – Dilbert
Has our City made accommodations for the Farmers Market to be spaced out over a larger area to provide adequate social distancing to occur…? Or…will there be less vendors spread out over current existing area…for market?
Perhaps, Herb Ritter’s over-reaction comment was not well vetted…or out of context?
I’m not wearing a mask. 🙂
Thank you nomask for the perfect illustration of my point.
Isn’t Pleasanton a great place to live – so many uncaring people.
How can “no pets” be a new rule? I have seen “NO PETS” signs at the market since it started in the 90’s. Does this mean it will now be ENFORCED? I hope so, because many people either can’t read or chose to ignore the existing rule.
@Wombat,
Just because you don’t understand something doesn’t mean that experts don’t understand something.
Please wear a mask and keep physically distancing so that the farmers market can stay open.
@BobB
Well, let’s see……
– The “experts” didn’t understand that many people infected with coronavirus – perhaps even most people – are actually asymptomatic.
– The experts didn’t understand that the true mortality rate was nowhere near the initially claimed value of about 2% but have been revising the rate downward since the initial claim.
– The experts didn’t understand that almost all the people who actually die from coronavirus have pre-existing health problems, with obesity now appearing to be the biggest risk factor.
– The experts didn’t understand that younger people in good health (such as school age children) have an especially small probability of showing any symptoms at all due to coronavirus.
– The experts didn’t understand that, as shown in a Santa Clara study, many times more people are infected with coronavirus than previously believed but yet go through their daily lives without any problems due to the disease.
Seems that the experts aren’t quite as knowledgeable about the situation as you seem to think that they are. Any specific points you want to make about what relevant information you think you or the experts know that I don’t know? And please don’t parrot your “wear a mask” comment for like the 70th time like a brain-dead lackey who is unable to think for himself. You only remind us that the “experts” got that one wrong, too, since they were initially claiming that the wearing of masks was ineffective and not needed.
@Wombat,
“Seems that the experts aren’t quite as knowledgeable about the situation…”
They’re just more knowledgeable than you.
Be sure to practice social distancing. Wear a mask. Get a flu shot when available. Follow the rules.
Vaccinate your children.
@BobB
So you’re unable to respond to my challenge of “Any specific points you want to make about what relevant information you think you or the experts know that I don’t know?”
What a surprise.
I don’t understand why with new information around the virus people are still clamoring to scientifically proven ineffective methods of prevention.
There is a reason medical personnel are not wearing etsy artisan up-cycled organic face masks – their effectiveness in trapping a 1 micron virus, or even a droplet that might be 3 times larger is not effective. Just as the contributing transmission rate from asymptotic people hasn’t been presented; and especially after increase focus on hand washing, social distancing, staying home when ill or taking care of someone ill, risk factors, etc, etc, etc.
……we need to follow the rules, and we need to adjust them when new information is made available (both directions)
@Wombat,
No.
Hi Wombat –
Did they teach you at Cornell the importance of collecting data over time, particularly when dealing with a new / little understood situation (like this virus) and validating your models on a regular basis to make the conclusions they generate accurate? Adjusting conclusions and recommendations as more knowledge is obtained / verified?
Isn’t this a situation where time has been needed to gain understanding and to make adjustments based on the latest data?
Seems to me a “true” expert understands this and as more data is collected and more understanding is obtained that they adjust their conclusions and recommendations.
Everybody is upset about this situation, but I really do believe the experts have done the best they could have done given the situation.
Yes, many conclusions they came to early on turned out to be wrong – good for the people that did not die, not so good for the ones that did and the millions of people stuck inside their homes / our economy.
What would everyone be saying if the experts told us a few months ago not to worry, make no changes to our behaviors and millions of people had died?
Maybe we’ve reached the point where we should be happy the deaths did not reach the original early estimates and focus on how we all work together to recover from this.
This is still a highly contagious virus and we all may just need to adapt to a new normal for now. Simple things like social distancing and wearing a mask when you can’t social distance seems to be a small thing to ask of people.
Everyone has a right to decide for themselves what they are willing to do – each person’s true character will be very clear based on these decisions. And each of us will be remembered for our choices.
If people don’t care – good for them.
For me, I do care about the people in my community and I will behave accordingly.
I will also avoid those who make bad choices as much as possible.
@ Wombat- Your hindsight is 20/20! Congratulations. I’m sure the families of the 3000 people dying every day from COVID are comforted by your brilliant post-crisis analysis.
why are you guys wasting your breath trying to convince a russian troll to wear a mask?
if they dont wear a. mask they will be asked to leave the market area, if they refuse police will get involved.
dont feed the trolls.
Karl,
But you don’t see that as a problem? We’re enacting absolute prevention (where zero transmission, zero life lost) is the level of conservatism being asked; while idealistic, not practical, and in no way representative of any other approach we’ve taken to date.
Why aren’t we banning smoking, fatty red meat, obesity, anything that can lead to cardiovascular failure? Zero lost lives the end result, zero “transmission” or contributing factors to the causes…..
The reality is, and as more information becomes available, this is a very transmittable disease that is deadly for certain risk groups, and annoying for others. We have more information on those risk groups (not perfect, but more)….and at what point does the conversation become personal responsibility for protection against vs everyone else is responsible for those that are at risk?
Its a very different dynamic than any other disease/virus/etc we have today; and maybe we need to change…..but why this and nothing else? Doesn’t make sense.
@Karl
Of course theories and hypotheses are revised as more information is gained. The key point, which you apparently missed in the list of points shown in my previous post above, is that our beliefs about the health danger and mortality rate of coronavirus are being revised DOWNWARD over time. Latest estimates that I’ve seen on the mortality rate of coronavirus is that it is at about 0.35%, which is about 3 times higher than the common flu (as opposed to about 20-times higher than the common flu as first believed).
Finally, don’t try to get snarky with me unless you are prepared to receive the same treatment from me in kind.
@Reality Bites wrote “@ Wombat- Your hindsight is 20/20!”
Thank you! My hindsight appears all the more impressive because there are so many people such as yourself who have no hindsight!
@PP,
You said ”We’re enacting absolute prevention (where zero transmission, zero life lost)”.
But that isn’t true. It isn’t even close. We didn’t do a full lockdown like New Zealand or other countries. We have already lost over 70,000 lives. And now we’re doing a gradual re-opening with mitigation, knowing full well that more lives will be lost.
BobB, you’re right, we aren’t taking a zero life lost approach. But then what is the acceptable baseline we’re targeting? And what does the social engagement look like at that level?
Newsom has failed to define that, and because of that we have an undefined end state. I applaud him finally getting a phased approach out there, but the toll gates to each are not clear (or at least for phase IV, somewhat unrealistic)
Pleasanton Parent –
My comments on masks / social distancing are based on what is currently recommended as we start to open up again.
I would expect new recommendations as time goes on and as more understanding is developed. Getting vaccinated, once a vaccine is available would be one really good example of a future recommendation I would expect.
I would expect people to adjust their actions over time, as their personal choices direct them.
I’m sorry, but I do not believe locking up people at risk so others aren’t inconvenienced is the right thing to do. Our society and values as a country don’t really support this kind of approach.
I do expect people at risk to modify their behaviors to minimize their own risk. Just like people who smoke, or over eat or take drugs, they own the consequences of their actions / choices.
Personally, I am in the risk group for a number of reasons. I’m lucky I can work at home. For the future, I have already talked to my boss about my concerns with going back into my workplace, where people sit 3 feet away on all sides. I’m working on getting the OK to work from home until hopefully there is a vaccine I can take, just like my flu shot, to minimize my risk of catching the virus. I do take walks daily – without a mask on but with one available should I not be able to distances. I wear a mask when I go to shop – but I also limit the frequency to every 2 weeks.
It does bother me when others don’t distance when walking or wear a mask in the store. But there really isn’t anything I can do about them – they show they don’t care and that is the choice they have made. I’ll just do everything I can to stay as far away from them as possible or avoid them or bad situation completely.
@BobB wrote “ We have already lost over 70,000 lives. And now we’re doing a gradual re-opening with mitigation, knowing full well that more lives will be lost.”
Everyone notice that BobB didn’t even mention the other side of the ledger: Over 30 million people who have lost their jobs, many people who can no longer pay their rent and have been evicted with their families out onto the street, countless businesses failing, many more people with depression and more suicides.
If we applied the same logic to responding to the common flu, then we should also be shutting down schools and businesses every winter because even in a typical flu season 20,000 to 60,000 lives are lost to the common flu, and many of those lives could be saved if we took stronger measures such as shutting down schools and businesses over the winter.
Wombat,
Not going to bother. Just keep physically distancing, wear a mask when you go out, and get your flu shot.
Karl,
Makes sense, I just want to know what takes us from “people not wearing a mask in public “ being identified and labeled as “not caring” to “choosing not to”
@BobB
Thanks for your priggish, schoolmarmish words of advice, BobB.
Pleasanton Parent –
Sure: People who “CHOOSE” not to wear a mask (in public when not spacing) are showing “THEY DO NOT CARE”.
They are choosing an action that shows, to me at least, that they do not care.
Different people can choose to interpret the actions of others any way they wish. This is my interpretation.
Oh, joy. Yet another example of how this country is overreacting to coronavirus. This is going to turn out well:
“Nearly 20,000 teens in Georgia have received their driver licenses without a road test” – CNN
I’m still not wearing a mask 🙂
Look for me, I’ll be the one happy and with a big smile….. that you can see.
Hopefully PPD will be able to get to you quickly – before you end the experiment for anyone else who wants to participate and abide by the rules set.
Wombat, 75,000 deaths in less than a “flu season”—in a time that is not typically flu season. 75,000 known deaths, with no way of knowing how many more deaths might have happened had we not taken precautions. 75,000 people whose families are overwhelmed and on many levels.
Yes, the current state of the economy is devastating to many and that burden has not been equally shared. As a nation, I think we are doing some things well to help those more adversely impacted. It could take more funding, which has implications for those of us who manage to survive.
Karl,
You’re entitled to your opinion.
I think painting people choosing not to wear a mask as “not caring” is dangerous and divisive.