The president of Ceres Youth Soccer came before the Ceres City Council last week to urge the city to do something about the condition of the soccer fields at Ceres River Bluff Regional Park.

He said the park and soccer complex, which was built in 2004, is “very, very unsafe for the kids, and that’s my concern.”

“I’m not bragging but I’ve only been 45 years running this in the city,” said Lou Toste, “and to see what I see today, down there it hurts my feelings, and it hurts the organization that works so hard to have a complex down there.”

He noted that kids as young as four years of age up to 16 are running over fields that have holes and are barren in spots.

Toste also complained about players from out of town leagues using the fields.

“I don’t like the idea that CYSO pays to rent the fields and each kid here in Ceres, youth soccer, has to pay $25 to the city when we hear these leagues are coming in here and they don’t pay nothing; they just pay to rent the fields for a couple hours. I don’t think that is right when I’m a resident of the city, taxpayer, and the rest of everybody around here. Disappointed with this.”

Toste also said people are jumping over the eight-foot high fences late in the afternoons, push the emergency button and open the gates to use the fields, which he called “unacceptable.”

“It bothers me to see the way we have the complex today. We have different sports going there, flag football, this and that, out of this city, and you telling me, anyone can come in here, not paying a dollar? But the families in here, they have to pay $25 each, they sign when they’re the taxpayers right here. I’m sorry, but that’s not acceptable.”

Interim City Manager Steve Williams was directed to look into the issues that Toste raised.

Another complaint was lodged was by Jorge Guerrero, president of Ceres Youth Baseball and a council candidate.

Guerrero said he was visited by a police employee to follow up on a request of Vice Mayor Daniel Martinez to look into how many gates were open during tournaments. Guerrero said it’s been practice to leave one gate open and accused Martinez of “having a new city manager and a new chief of police to continue with the personal issue that you have with me because you could not follow the rules on my team that your son played on. No wonder the city is in such bad shape. It is probably partially because you are unable to understand what you’re being told.”

He went on to ask Martinez why he didn’t call the police “when your stepmom stole $8,500 from CYB?”