Conejo Valley is turning into Orange County

I was happy to see the frontpage photograph (Aug. 3 Thou- sand Oaks Acorn) with our mayor showing a map of the open spaces in T.O. that will be preserved as such "forever."

I'd like to see the Acorn publish a full-page version of that map, so others besides the Kiwanis can get a good look at what we have left. And while we're at it, how about a 1960s map of the original greenbelt proposal, accompanied by a brief history piece discussing what we've already lost?

Thousand Oaks at one time was supposed to be surrounded by a greenbelt, which has regrettably been compromised already by sell-offs and ridgeline development. If we all had a large legible copy of the aforementioned map, we could keep track of how much we have left at present.

But what has happened in the intervening years to all the open space advocates? Have we all been out-shouted by the rich developers and the power-crazed local politicos who suck up to them? What has become of our precious semirural lifestyle?

We're looking and sounding more and more like Orange County, and I for one detest the thought, no matter how much money gets made in the process. Pete Gerard Thousand Oaks