Safety of Community is Paramount

As residents of La Crescenta, nothing is more important to us than the safety of our families and neighbors. That is why the proposed 66-unit housing development at the corner of Foothill Boulevard and Briggs Avenue is causing such widespread alarm. To push forward with a project of this scale at our canyon’s primary choke point without first conducting a proper evacuation and traffic safety study is dangerously irresponsible.

Our community resides in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone with notoriously limited exit routes. Adding a massive influx of new vehicles to the Foothill and Briggs intersection without ensuring we can all safely evacuate during a fast-moving wildfire is a risk we simply cannot afford to take.

To formalize our community’s apprehension, a detailed letter was recently submitted to the LA County fire chief and other LA County officials. This letter outlines the severe logistical and safety realities of our neighborhood and demands accountability before ground is broken. The letter was also recently shared with the 2900 community members who have signed our ongoing petition; the full text can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/BriggsLetterToFireChief

We recognize the need for housing across the state but we are fiercely protective of human life. We urge our county leaders to listen to the community, prioritize public safety and halt this project until our evacuation capabilities are definitively proven.

Eleanor Wacker & Tatyana Esmaelian 
La Crescenta

Lets Keep Imported Drug Option

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has a dangerous new rule beginning Oct. 22 that will threaten the healthcare of millions of Americans. The rule, “Indefinite Suspension of the De Minimis Exemption for Mail Shipments,” will effectively end Americans’ ability to personally import their prescription medicines.

Importing prescription drugs from licensed international pharmacies is the only lifeline for seniors on limited incomes, people with high-deductible health plans and the uninsured. That’s why CBP and the FDA have allowed it for decades. Due to the much lower cost of medications in Canada and other countries, imported medicine is their only option.

Many imported drugs can be less than half the price of the U.S. These necessary medicines prevent blood clots, treat diabetes and much more. This CBP rule will cut off access to the only affordable prescription drugs for millions and that will lead to unnecessary harm and preventable deaths.

I ask readers to immediately call or write our senators and U.S. representatives and demand they stop CBP from implementing any rule-making that restricts Americans from importing personal-use prescription drugs from licensed pharmacies in Canada or other countries.

Donald Burger
Laguna Niguel