Dear Editor,
Banning alcohol at Christmas Hill and Las Animas parks is a
great idea!
Dear Editor,
Banning alcohol at Christmas Hill and Las Animas parks is a great idea!
Currently, I keep my kids (ages 2 and 7) away from these parks because I feel that their atmosphere is totally inappropriate for them.
For instance, at Christmas Hill, the large picnic area is located too close to the playground. On more than one occasion, our outing has been ruined because of the types of activities that continue to go on there.
After one experience, my 7-year-old asked me, “Mom, why does that man keep on saying the “f” word?” Instead of hearing the laughter of children, we have been subjected to offensive language, beer chugging and, of course, the cheers that erupted during the “traditional” who can throw your beer can the farthest up the hillside contest.
Not so fondly, my kids’ childhood memory of Christmas Hill Park continues with thoughts of cars burning rubber in the parking lot as they come and go from the parties, and the time when one partygoer actually praised his pit bull puppy for aggressively barking at my 2-year-old son.
The words, “Good Ivory! Good Dog!” are forever permeated in my brain. One may ask, “Why didn’t I call the police? The problem again is the location of the large picnic area and the playground; there is only one way in and cars coming and going can easily be seen by the partygoers. As a result, they would have plenty of time to clean up their acts.
Unfortunately, because of the actions of, as the Gilroy Dispatch put it in their article, “City Set to Uncork Park Booze Ban'” a handful of people, my family cannot utilize our neighborhood park. We now have no other alternative but to get in our car and drive to the other parks that do not allow alcohol consumption. I guess we are lucky for those such safe places still in Gilroy.
Cheryl Parks, Gilroy
This letter received the Golden Quill Award. The Golden Quill is awarded occasionally for a well-written letter.
