Show tolerance to immigrants
Editor: A caravan of about 4,000 people are walking through Mexico from Honduras. It is comprised of families; men, women and children. The stories reported are heartbreaking. A young woman speaking about her struggles stated that she hoped her daughter would remember “that l am doing this to give her a better life ... schooling ... and what l never had in my childhood, and may she never end up like me, having to emigrate far away.”
That is what my mother told us children when we emigrated from Okahoma to California in the 1940s. California was and is truly the Golden State. Just as the USA is to us all and to these pitiful emigrants.
Many of us seem to have forgotten our past. Most of us were immigrants. I think a little humility, tolerance and civility should be shown to these folks.
They are not really a threat. Thank you.
Candy Cane Park project and Measure L
Editor: I read an article about Candy Cane Park in a recent NewsSentinel publication. The article shows a local resident picketing along Candy Cane Park on Holly Drive. She wants the city to replace the playground equipment in the park, which was removed two years ago. Only two swings remain in the small park.
Soroptimist International of Lodi members share her concerns. Soroptimist members originally donated this park to the city of Lodi in 1958 and purchased new playground equipment in 1992. The Soroptimist Club is no longer able to help fund the upgrade of the park.
Former Lodi Parks and Recreation Director Steve Dutra conducted a meeting in December 2015 at Candy Cane Park to discuss the proposal to renovate this small neighborhood park. Members of the community, city staff, members of both the Tree Lodi Committee and Soroptimist attended the meeting. We were excited to learn that the city was making plans to move forward with renovation of the park.
The current director Jeff Hood explained that due to the failure to pass Measure R in 2016 the city did not have the money to upgrade the park. With the failure of Measure R, funds originally set aside for the park were redirected to other projects. Hood estimates that the cost to complete the Candy Cane Park project, including the ADA requirements, is around $135,000 to $150,000.
Voters will have another chance to pass a measure that will allow the city to place a half-cent sales tax on the November ballot. If the new tax measure passes, it will be up to city council to decide if it is a project worth funding.
Hopefully Lodi residents will approve this measure and the city will approve the renovation of Candy Cane Park.
Be prepared to vote
Editor: This is in response to an article on the San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters.
There are more students helping this year — thanks to school officials for giving students credit for taking the day off school. We are working a long 15-hour day plus training before of at least two hours or more. We do get paid a minimum wage, it’s not volunteer work.
Now for those voters that want to vote please make sure you are registered and go to your polling place. If you didn’t get anything in the mail by now, like a sample ballot or a vote-by-mail ballot call the registrar find out where your voting place is, the number is 209-468-2890. If you are vote by mail please bring in or send your mailed ballots early.
Don’t just go to the polling place and say I never got anything in the mail. If your name is not in the roster, you’ll be voting provisional which means a pink envelope and lots of paperwork for the county to verify your name and make sure you’re registered. I’ve worked the polls for many years and see lots of issues about where to vote. If you’re not sure where to go, please call the registrar of voters.