Not much to be thankful for

“Home,” a place to call your own. “Home,” a place to rest your head and to feel safe and secure. “Home,” a place to raise your family or live out your final years. “Home”—what a comforting word.

But none of that matters to our city council, that is if your home is located in a mobile home park.

It’s inconceivable for the residents of Conejo Valley Mobile Home Park to relocate. Over half the homes at the park are older and the relocating would damage, if not destroy, these homes.

But we weren’t left alone. We are being told to leave, displaced, our future uncertain. Nowhere to go. We are being forced out of our hometown.

Is this the standard of Newbury Park to ignore the residents of mobile homes? It’s beginning to look this way, but I have faith that things will change. Someone will hear our plea. I still have hope.

The majority of residents of mobile home parks consist of elderly, handicapped and foreigners. Mobile homes and their residents have been given a stigma in our town lately. The “Not In My Back Yard” (NIMBY) mentality is alarming and pathetic.

The city council has turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to these residents for years. Now they’re turning their backs. Shame on them.

The city council is constantly bringing up the need for low-income housing. What hypocrites! It’s all just a bunch of hot air. The city council approved the new zoning for the developer without batting an eyelash.

The difference in the amount of care and media coverage of the plight of the Castle Hill residents and their displacement is painfully one-sided.

The mayor stated that when she walked away from the owner of Castle Hill, she was assured he would listen to the concerns of the Castle Hill residents. As for the residents of Conejo Valley Mobile Home Park, the mayor just walked away.

The park has an assortment of good people, a retired Navy officer, a retired teacher, a disabled World War II vet, just to name a few. These are good people who need help. Some have lived in this park for 20 years.

What is the impact of being displaced, losing your financial investment and nowhere else to go? What about the well-being of us?

The city council has spent more time and concern about lighting the dog park than any discussion of the plight of these people.

I pity them all. I can sleep at night—for now at my home— knowing that I never sacrificed my morals and dignity for the almighty dollar. I have led an honest life and I have never destroyed another person’s hopes and dreams. I can meet my maker and look him in the eyes.

The same cannot be said for the former owners of the mobile home park who sold out, the existing property management company or the greedy developer.

Someday they will meet their maker, too, and they’ll have some explaining to do. Gale Rayne Nichols Newbury Park