They took plenty of heat a couple of years ago when we were in the throes of the drought for moving ahead with construction of their major water swimming and play facility in Fallon Park.
They cut the ribbon on the $43 million water park last Friday and by Memorial Day three of the six water slides were closed.
On Saturday, a 10-year-old boy careened out of the bottom of the Emerald Plunge slide and landed on the concrete base. Fortunately, it appears he was only shaken up—his parents declined the offer of an ambulance.
That caused closure of the Emerald Plunge and the adjacent Dublin Screamer. By Sunday, a third slide, Riptide Rider, was closed because Dublin staff members were concerned about the water pressure.
That left The Wave patrons with half of the six water slides available. Of course, there’s also three pools, and given the cool temperatures, it probably wasn’t a great day for frolicking in the water.
An East Bay Times videographer, who was covering the opening, caught the accident on the Emerald Plunge and I saw it replayed on national cable channels. Not exactly the grand opening city leaders had in mind.
The city’s cautious approach, emphasizing safety, is the right call.
Headlines in Monday’s East Bay Times decried “state’s school funding in peril” because of President Donald Trump’s proposed budget.
The budget would trim federal funding by about $400 million from the $4 billion the feds send to California for education. The budget actually proposes cuts instead of the normal Washington D.C. way to reducing the rate of growth instead of cutting actual funds.
What the Times story failed to report, is that state funding for schools continues to soar. The governor added more funding in his May revised budget that could bring $150,000 more to the Pleasanton district.
Revenues for school districts and community college will be 58 percent higher than they were in the 2011-12 year as the post-recession impacts sent revenues plunging.
Naturally, state school chief, Democrat Tom Torlakson, gave the budget an “F.” No surprise there.
