Park doesn’t need pickleball
The situation surrounding Thousand Oaks’ Conejo Creek Park West — actually, Waverly Equestrian Park — is coming to a head.
Despite continuous input from equestrians as well as neighbors adjacent to the park, the Conejo Recreation and Parks District (CRPD) is moving ahead with plans to put a dozen pickleball courts in the park. This would endanger both horses and people. It could also impact the dog parks, if the dogs are noise reactive; as well as the peace and tranquility of the Community Gardens and surrounding homes.
Having been told repeatedly by experts that pickleball is incompatible with horses, one must wonder why the CRPD is bent on stuffing pickleball in there. It certainly is not for the best interest of the community. Some big pickleball association
must be pushing hard here. Is the intention to drive the horses out? Well, that’s what is likely to happen if this is implemented.
CRPD already has dedicated pickleball courts in five other parks, and tennis courts all over the place that can be double-striped to allow even more pickleball if the demand is there. But where else can the horses go? Nowhere. So, we will lose even more of our tradition, our heritage, here in the Conejo Valley because our leaders do not have our best interest in mind.
You still have a chance to help stop this. Come to the CRPD Board Meeting on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 6 p.m. in the Community Room at CRPD headquarters at 403 W. Hillcrest Drive and speak or at least fill out a comment card for public record. Or email Jim Friedl and Andrew Mooney or call them at CRPD to let them know that we want this park preserved for the horses and our heritage.
Chris Reiber, Thousand Oaks
Most significant election in years
The midterm elections are less than a month away. Given the state of our fragile democracy this is the most significant election in decades. If we want to continue to be free it is imperative that the Democrats take control of Congress in order to impeach and convict Donald Trump as soon as it is possible.
The Republicans have driven this nation to the brink of disaster with their inability to rein in the worst president in American history.
Recently there have been two propaganda commercials paid for by the American people and featuring Trump touting his performance as the best ever. Why are we paying for his lies? Then there is his lie that every adult citizen will receive a $5,000 payment if his party retains power in Congress. I’m quite sure that paying for votes is totally illegal.
Gary Sparks, Camarillo
Voting against incumbents
I have been studying on who to vote for this November, and the decision is made easier by a quote from Albert Einstein: “We cannot solve today’s problems with the mentality that created them.”
So I will not be voting for the incumbents.
Draza Mrvichin, Ventura
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Pickleball to ruin park, nation on brink of disaster | Letters
