| | Published November 23rd, 2011
| Letters to the Editor
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Editor:
As a father, it has always been a mission of mine to teach my sons some of life's lessons as seen through the eyes of sport. Whether it was coaching a soccer team, talking with them after karate practice, or sitting on the couch watching the 49ers, I tried to share with them how the dynamics of sports transcends what it takes to succeed in life. Work hard. Be disciplined. Master the fundamentals. Be a team player. Don't be afraid to fail. And never, ever give up. And while it may be exciting to watch Barry Bonds hit a home run, or to see Jerry Rice catch a touchdown pass, always remember that the real heroes in life are those that run into burning buildings, care for the sick, or fight for our freedom.
Which brings me to my next lesson from the world of sport, though this has nothing to do with athleticism: Penn State.
For years they heard me reminisce about my trips to Penn State. How State College, PA was the perfect college town and Joe Paterno was the perfect college coach. Nothing bad ever seemed to happen there, and the legendary Joe Pa could do no wrong. But as you can tell from the nonstop coverage on TV and the Internet, that isn't the case anymore.
Joe Paterno dedicated his life to Penn State. He built a successful football program, which lifted the prestige of the school and brought prosperity to an out of the way community. He gave back millions of dollars in salary to help Penn State fund scholarships, faculty chairs, and a library that bears his name. In forty-six season as head coach, Paterno graduated 97% of his players, and he was never accused by the NCAA of breaking any of its rules. On the scale of good and evil, Joe Paterno is clearly one of the good guys.
But he made an egregious mistake, and he exercised a huge, unconscionable, and unforgivable lack of judgment. Joe Paterno was more than just the head football coach. He was more than the face of an educational education. He was also an adult, and while he legally did things right, he lacked the courage to morally do the right thing. For that, he deserved to be fired.
I've told my sons that there are two important life lessons here. One, though you may spend years building a personal reputation based on hard work, integrity, trust and mutual respect, it can all be lost in an instant. Keep that in mind when you are faced with a situation that can be perceived as right or wrong. And two, always remember to use your moral compass to help you decide what is in the best interest of people, not institutions. Institutions are built to succeed or fail, but people are built to remember.
Lee Geiger
Moraga
Editor:
I attended the last of the Planning Dept meeting, held at Glorietta School. One man made a speech opposing the "Downtown Plan". After that, Emanuel Ursu, who was conducting the meeting did not allow any further speeches by citizens. He posed a series of questions. Citizens who held up their hands were allowed to respond; to those questions only. The questions were about various aspects of the "Village" and "Crossroads". The questions clearly assumed that the City must have a "Plan" for future development. It is clear to me the City is planning major restrictions on businesses renovating their buildings; to conform to whatever "Plan" is decided on.
I do not believe the City of Orinda should attempt to exercise this power. We will all be better off if the individual owners of the land in the Crossroads and Village have the maximum freedom in how they develop their own property. Individuals almost always make better decisions about this than government.
This whole business comes from two groups who want more money. 1. The Developer, who is looking to building this "Plan" 2. The City Government, which is looking to remove existing businesses from their Prop. 13 advantages as well taxing the new high density residents. In short, a larger tax base.
We, who live here, do not need this, or want it. In my opinion, this will drive business from Orinda and destroy the character of downtown Orinda.
Henry R. Pinney
Orinda
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA