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Conejo Recreation & Park l� 403 W. Hillcrest Drive Thousand Oaks, Ca 91360 Attn: Bob Marchesano Park Superintendent Regarding: Dog Park Lights Dear Mr. Marchesano, let RECEIVED AUG 2 3 nm CONE,IO RECREATION & PARK DISTRICT August 19, 2005 I have lived in Thousand Oaks for over thirty five years and I am a business owner as well. I have seen the tremendous growth in this city during that time. I have seen first hand the wonderful job the CRPD has done to keep all of our park and recreational areas safe for all of our citizens. I am a single woman with a dog I take her to the dog park almost every day of the week. We enjoy our time together playing with the other dogs and creating new friendships with people who visit this wonderful park. My dog is no different from the three children I raised in this community. My children used the parks, baseball fields and attended camps through the CRPD. During that time all of the facilities we used were, and still are, lighted at night to accommodate the residents of this fine community. The dog park is no different from any other park herein the Conejo Valley. Walking, playing and exercising our dogs is just another form of recreation. Most importantly, being a single woman in this community I feel unsafe walking my dog at night by myself on the city streets. Some of our streets here in Thousand Oaks are not lighted, therefore not safe. By having lights at the enclosed dog park I would feel much safer with other dog owners present. The Conejo Valley brags about how safe our community is, so why should dogs and their owners not have the same rights? Having a park that is well lighted to protect us. We are not asking for the lights to be on late at night. We are simply asking to have a few hours between 4:30 PM and 8:30 PM to enjoy the type of activity we choose in a safe environment. All of the other parks are lighted at night, so why exclude this park? Maybe the CRPD should turn off all the lights in all of the parks for one week as a test to see how the other citizens would like not having a place to go for the recreation of their choice. I am sure the soccer and baseball community would put up areal stink. Or maybe we dog people should take our dogs over to the lighted soccer field to walk them. I don't think the soccer moms and dads would like it if we let our dogs pee and poop on their lighted fields. We are simply asking for a place that is safe to enjoy our form of recreation. How unfair it is to exclude one segment of the community from the benefits enjoyed by the rest. It's as if you just put us dog lovers in the back of the bus. This is just plain discrimination. Please take into consideration the needs of all the people in this community, not just a select few. Th u for your consideration in this matter. Peggy 3o Smith Resident of Thousand Oaks for Over 35 Years.