Editor:

I would like to thank the Discovery Bay town council for the work it continually does to assist its citizens. It has come under heavy scrutiny and harsh criticism in your paper, and I believe there should be a balance from the other side of the community.

Every time I have contacted the town council, it has responded within days to address my problems. For instance:

• I had a tree growing from the park into my back yard, causing a fire hazard. I contacted the board and within a month, the tree was trimmed back and two dead trees were removed.

• I notified the board that the plastic guards on the chains for the swings were eroded and pinching the fingers of the children. Within one week, they were replaced.

• I notified the board that the lights in the parking lot of Cornell Park and several streetlights were out. Within two weeks, they were all repaired.

• I notified the board of graffiti at the park. Within two days, it was removed.

• I notified the board that the bathrooms were in need of repair and that vandals had broken the hand dryer. It was fixed within two weeks.

These may sound like small and insignificant tasks to some, but to people like me, that means a lot. I work for the city of Oakland, where trying to get small repairs like these would take months or even years. I believe there should be some praise given to those who do what they can to help their constituents.

The complaints I have read about have been unfair to the board. The expectations from the citizens complaining are noble, but too high for any working government to accomplish. In an ideal world, the board would work like clockwork and everyone would be happy. However, this is the real world, where every decision the board makes will create a positive and a negative response.

We voted the board into office to make those decisions that its members believed would best affect our town. So far, in my opinion, they are doing very well. I have spoken to several board members who are not only capable leaders, but innovative and positive. For instance, the following:

• Though funding is not available completely, the board is planning a community center and a skate park for our youth that may also include a small library.

• The board is looking at ways to enhance the marina and waterfront.

• The town council has taken an aggressive stance against illegal activities and code violators.

To have these concepts in the works on top of running a town of over 16,000 people is highly commendable. I'm not saying that the people criticizing the board don't have valid points. They do. But if they want it done their way, they need to run for town council and get themselves on the board, not take cheap shots in the newspaper. It's easy to criticize from a spectator's position.

Brad Young

Discovery Bay