Up until a month ago, Pleasanton resident Edie Foster had to commute 35 minutes each way to her job in Hayward. Now, as one of the first local residents hired to work in Hacienda Business Park, her commute has decreased to just five minutes each way.

"This is great," she smiles. "Why drive 35 minutes when you can have a job in your own back yard?"

Edie, a Pleasanton resident since 1968, is a Word Processing Specialist at AT&T communications on West Las Positas Boulevard in the Hacienda Business Park. She found out about the opening through a friend of hers, an AT&T employee, who knew the company was moving most of its offices to Pleasanton and would be hiring a large number of local residents.

"I had been thinking about working closer to home, but as a single parent and head of household, it was important to work for a company that provided good benefits. AT&T was just perfect," Edie explains.

She applied for the job in late summer, then had to take three different tests before she was offered the position in October.

"AT&T does a very thorough job of screening their applicants," she says. "I was really thrilled when they called to offer me the job."

Besides being enthusiastic about her new job, Edie also enjoys the extra time she now has for her own activities.

''With my job being so close to my home, it's really given me a lot more time," she explains. "I used to have to postpone a lot of my errands until the weekends because that was when I had the time. Now I can take care of many responsibilities after work and leave the weekends free for my own activities."

Edie is a snow skier and is quite active in her church, the Valley Christian Center. The shorter commute has also allowed her to spend more time with her son, Steve, a senior at Foothill High School.

Edie has seen many changes during her 15 years as a Pleasanton resident.

"When we first moved here in 1968, there were about 3,000 people and just a few shops. If you wanted to do any shopping, you had to leave and go to Hayward or Walnut Creek," she says. "Now we can do it here in Pleasanton."

According to Edie, Hacienda Business Park has also been a positive change in Pleasanton. The Park has brought in new businesses and new employment to area residents, and it has contributed greatly to the appearance of the community.

"They have really improved the streets and landscaping since the project first began," comments Edie. "The trees, lights and landscaping have really improved the outside appearance of many of the neighborhoods'"

Edie says that the growth of Pleasanton has been exciting for her.

"Pleasanton has expanded over the years and it's inevitable that some growth is going to continue," she says. "I've decided that I want to be part of it. It's really been great to watch my world expand."

To see a reproduction of the original article and edition of Pleasanton Pathways, visit: January 1, 1984 Pathways.