Nancy Martin: Converting park to ball fields will deprive us of open space

I was recently notified that the public open space near my childhood home, Roosevelt Park, is being converted into a ball field. I was saddened and immediately flooded with memories of the 56 years I had been so fortunate to enjoy the experience of open space in my own neighborhood, just one block from my home.

From the time I was in elementary school through my first year at MJC, I walked, ran and played in Roosevelt Park almost daily. Sometimes I was in the company of school chums, walking a family dog, getting exercise while having a talk with my mother or just out for some peace of mind in the company of rustling trees or enjoying the smell of cut grass. My 92-year-old mother still lives just a block from Roosevelt Park and still walks there daily.

Holiday meals at the family home have a break between dinner and dessert so that we can all enjoy a walk and talk in this very valuable open space. Shame on city planners and Modesto’s city council for their ignorance of the difference between a neighborhood park and a ball field.

This story was originally published September 14, 2017 at 12:19 PM with the headline "Nancy Martin: Converting park to ball fields will deprive us of open space."