Eileen Stokman: If Tour doesn’t return, it’s because we blew it
It’s unfortunate the Amgen Tour didn’t receive a good reception from our county, at least not from the west side of it. We went up Del Puerto Canyon Road to see the cyclists hit “The Wall” at mile 20 with its 17 percent incline. On our way up, we stopped at Frank Raines County Park to use the bathroom. It’s a family type park with a nice, large play area. The bathroom building was boarded up and surrounded by tall, dry grass. There are two outhouses in the park, but they were entirely disgusting – just like they were last year at this time.
When I called to report it last year, I was assured the permanent building was going to be reopening. I wonder how many other cyclists and visitors dropped in to use the park facilities en route with the Amgen? If this wasn’t bad enough, there were large, deep potholes in the road for several curvy miles. An invitation for a cycling accident. If the Amgen doesn’t come back, it’s because we don’t deserve it.
Eileen Stokman, Ceres
This story was originally published May 22, 2017 at 12:17 PM with the headline "Eileen Stokman: If Tour doesn’t return, it’s because we blew it."