COMMENTARY\Sport X foes should wait to see the plans.Byline: Jere Robings Special to the Daily News Sport X - the mere mention of the name creates a wave of hysteria hysteria (hĭstĕr`ēə), in psychology, a disorder commonly known today as conversion disorder, in which a psychological conflict is converted into a bodily disturbance. not seen in Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. since the first wall went up at the Circuit City building. Sport X is referred to in terms people generally use for crime, drugs, prostitution and high-density, low-income housing. People have staked out their opposition and chiseled chis·eled or chis·elled adj. Made or shaped with or as if with a chisel: a finely chiseled nose. Adj. 1. it in stone, without knowing what it is they are objecting to. The first sign of the clueless clue·less adj. Lacking understanding or knowledge. clueless Adjective Slang helpless or stupid Adj. 1. occurred at a town hall meeting put on by the City Council, where those objecting to the sports center voiced their opposition without seeing the final plan or talking to Noun 1. talking to - a lengthy rebuke; "a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline"; "the teacher gave him a talking to" lecture, speech rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval - an act or expression of criticism and censure; "he had to the business people who are nearly finished developing the final concept. The second occurrence took place at the City Council's workshop on the city's General Plan, where the first speakers opposed a project that has not yet been submitted to any agency. Those speakers not only opposed the project, but wanted the council to vote against it in principle. The fact that a council cannot vote against something that has not been submitted did not deter the vocal audience. Watching those in the council chamber yelling out to the council from their seats leads one to believe they are from the hippie generation of the '60s where dignity and protocol don't matter, so long as you can intimidate in·tim·i·date tr.v. in·tim·i·dat·ed, in·tim·i·dat·ing, in·tim·i·dates 1. To make timid; fill with fear. 2. To coerce or inhibit by or as if by threats. . From what I had read in the papers of Sport X, I assumed the plan was to build a very large building that would cover the entire soccer field at Janss Road and the Moorpark Freeway. It would do away with the fields owned by the Recreation and Parks District. What I have learned is that Sport X is a single building proposed for the dirt parking lot along Janss Road, now owned by the school district and which is up for sale. All of the hysteria of building on public lands is so much hyperbole hyperbole (hīpûr`bəlē), a figure of speech in which exceptional exaggeration is deliberately used for emphasis rather than deception. . The land will be privately owned, with proceeds from the sale going to the district. One proposed use for that land was that of the post office, which wanted to build a vehicle storage and maintenance yard on it. Wouldn't that be attractive! If the concept of Sport X is developed into a plan, it would include improvement and expansion of the soccer fields. It would not prevent the riding of horses around the park. It would fit in nicely with the existing complex of the library, teen center, senior center and school district offices. The building will include multiple courts for volleyball, basketball, gymnastics gymnastics, exercises for the balanced development of the body (see also aerobics), or the competitive sport derived from these exercises. Although the ancient Greeks (who invented the building called a gymnasium and other sports activities. With such a facility, Thousand Oaks would be able to host tournaments in those sports for our youths. Bringing in teams and their families from around the state or the nation for tournaments would mean increased sales for hotels, restaurants and retail stores. Will this be a likely hangout hang·out n. Slang A frequently visited place. Noun 1. hangout - a frequently visited place haunt, stamping ground, resort, repair for gangs? Not likely, and no more so than the soccer fields or Little League fields are. Will the sale of food or alcohol on the premises be the ruination of the community? Anyone who has kids knows full well they are always ready to eat. That's why there are snack shops at athletic fields and at the batting cages Noun 1. batting cage - a movable screen placed behind home base to catch balls during batting practice cage baseball equipment - equipment used in playing baseball . Alcohol is served in The Oaks mall, the Civic Arts Plaza and most family restaurants, and does not seem to create a bad environment. After a game, most golfers enjoy a cold beer, and the Sport X would be no different. The hysterical crowd seems to believe that there should be no commercial enterprise allowed on public lands. That, of course, would eliminate the snack shops on the Little League and soccer fields; or the selling of food or goods at the Los Robles Robles is a common surname in the Spanish language meaning oaks, and may refer to:
So what are the negatives about this project? Who knows? Until such time as a plan has been prepared, presented and discussed, it is all speculation. Those who are charging ahead to stop this project might back off until a plan is developed and presented to the city. This would allow for sensible, objective discussion without the emotion. Of course, in today's world, there are those who will object to any building of any nature. It is impossible to build even a church today without someone objecting. |
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