Letters to the Editor | Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018

It’s a tough job; they do it well

In appreciation of Modesto city parks workers! I have been volunteering to clean the East LaLoma and other Modesto city parks for over 30 years and I have seen a lot. The jobs of park workers are thankless! Every day they pick up garbage in the same places they picked up garbage the day before. They fix broken toilets, sinks, fountains and more due to vandalism. They clean the most disgusting bathrooms and homeless camps. Dealing with graffiti is an never-ending battle. Constantly cleaning and re-painting tables that have been ruined by visitors who carve on them, peel off paint and destroy them.

The playground equipment always is in need of maintenance or removal due to mistreatment. These workers are constantly faced with scary people, trying to get them out so families can enjoy the parks. They deal with stray dogs, thievery and the homeless. Yet, they always have a friendly smile and a willingness to fix any problem. Thank you, city of Modesto park workers!

In appreciation of a beautiful river

Re “Regional tourism: Fun is serious business” (Page 9A, Sept. 28): I applaud Stanislaus County Deputy CEO Keith Boggs for touting the virtues of our county and I’m thrilled the Tourism Roundtable is back in action! Sadly, our Tuolumne River didn’t make Boggs’ short list of local draws.

Many people still see it as little more than a water conveyance and dumping ground. But as Boggs states, Stanislaus County’s landscape is changing and nowhere is that more evident than on the Tuolumne River. Almost two decades ago, a diverse group of stakeholders came up with a plan to increase access and enjoyment of the river. With millions of federal, state and local dollars, hundreds of volunteer hours, and now the removal of a deadly dam from under the 9th Street Bridge, we are on the cusp of becoming an outdoor recreation destination on par with the Stanislaus River!

But we need help. It can be as simple as frequenting our beautiful river parks, showing decision-makers that hese recreational resources matter.

Print more upbeat, short stories

Re “Carruth podcast, true-crime series are the product of a reporter’s 19-year fascination” (Online, Oct. 16): I look forward to the Rae Carruth podcase every day. What I enjoyed was that is was short story and it was fun to see how it played out. Not that I like death or how sad the outcome was. I would like to see more stories like this – short and more upbeat.

Riverbank festival lost its luster

The Riverbank Cheese and Wine Exposition used to bring in hundreds of vendors. Local school, churches and community groups would have booths. It was a big event, bringing thousands of people into Riverbank every October. It was something to look forward too.

But the past 10 years have been disappointing year after year. This year was the biggest disappointment of all. The exposition went from the biggest festival around to what appears to be some kind of run down swap meet. It’s a joke and not worth attending.

The city needs to get rid of whoever is dragging the once great event into the dirt. Bring back the community involvement and bring back life to the Riverbank Cheese and Wine Exposition that we all once knew and loved. Lower booth prices so vendors will return to sell their arts and crafts. Bring back school and community involvement like we once had. Make it worth attending.

Making friends at the library

The Modesto Library gets by with a little help from its Friends ... actually, quite a bit of help from its Friends! Established in 1994, Friends of the Modesto Library has given thousands of dollars to fund children’s programming, provide new furniture, contribute funding for new and emerging technology, and help support staff training. In addition, the Friends have rallied countless times to advocate for adequate library funding.

This is the 13th National Friends of Libraries Week, and the perfect time to consider joining. We have so much fun while working to make our community better. It’s easy to join, log onto modestolibrary friends.org and click “Join Us.” Fill out the application, and you’ll get a quick response.

Joining Friends of the Modesto Library is a terrific way to make new friends, and give back to our town.

Erickson’s goal: Helping YCCD

The Yosemite Community College District serves over 20,000 adults seeking to improve their lives through education and training. The demands of pursuing an associate’s degree or skill certification are significant, and these students deserve the finest preparation the college can provide.

To develop and maintain a community college that furthers career aspirations and skills requires a governance team that works together toward a common goal. Matt Erickson understands the role and responsibility of serving on a board of education. As a fellow trustee, I appreciate the experience, commonsense and good will Matt brings to our governing team. During his multiple terms on the Waterford school board, Matt always kept the interests of students uppermost.

We need trustees like Matt Erickson on the YCCD board; he’s open-minded and values accountability. He does not carry a personal agenda, other than to make YCCD the best community college district in California. I’m confident he will work well with other trustees, the chancellor and college presidents to pursue excellence.

This story was originally published October 27, 2018 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Letters to the Editor | Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018."