Last night I heard from my volunteer Los Gatos Parks Commissioner husband, after a meeting of the Parks Commission, that the town has given a 6 month hiatus on the sale of the Vasona Park land (which the town owns) to the county. The lease isn't up until 2010. (See image.)

Jim referred me to the minutes of the town council meeting last night. If you are a patient sort of person and want to watch the video of the meeting, click here.  I didn't find the written minutes easily (archives of old meetings, yes, and videos of the recent one, yes - maybe I looked at the wrong link?). But a helpful and readable version of last night's doings can be found via the Los Gatos Observer's article.

This issue is highly controversial because there are acres of "town" land being leased to the county (at no charge) until 2010. In turn, the county is leasing 2/3 of another acre elsehwere to the town at no charge.

The land in question is about 13 acres in the middle of the county park, which is a quiet place fo picnicing, sailboating, hiking, throwing around the frisbee, and sometimes even birdwatching.

Some in the town of Los Gatos want to take that 13 acres back from Santa Clara County and turn it into a skateboard park. And if not that, a soccer field. To say that one is opposed to that idea is almost to appear "anti-child".

I have kids. Teens, actually. And I am opposed to that use of the land.

I'm not anti-kid. But I like the quiet of Vasona Park. It's a nice place to go and recompose and decompress. If it becomes sports-oriented, with cheering parents and the concrete of a skatepark, it will lose that character forever.  It is the only park of its kind anywhere in the valley.

Yes, I agree we need more soccer fields. My own kids were in Rec soccer for years, and one of them just signed up again. But at what cost?

And a skateboard park? Sorry, I'm not convinced.

We have a six month or so breather now. The town will take input.

You've heard my thoughts.  Let your voice be heard.