Contrary to Lawler’s Column

In Mr. Lawler’s column “Montrose Railway’s Relics” he writes, “The center of the road tracks continued all the way down Glendale Avenue to Forest Lawn Glendale. … These tracks were also used by Union Pacific – though it’s a stretch to imagine full-size steam locomotives chugging up and down the middle of Glendale Avenue.” 

Not so! I watched steam locomotives coming up and down Glendale Avenue in 1956 when I was a kid. 

Union Pacific hauled lumber to the Litchfield Lumber Yard and cargo and passengers to the Union Pacific Depot where the Whole Foods Market is now.

[Below is one of] two photos taken at the corner of Broadway and Glendale Avenue in the late 1930s and early ’40s. [Both photos are available at www.cvweekly.com/VIEWPOINTS.)

Trent Sanders
La Cañada

Supports Re-election of Kathleen Cross 

I am a Fremont [Elementary] parent of two children and an Area C voter who is deeply involved in supporting local politics.

All of us feel the impact of well-run public schools – from the physical spaces around schools to the health and well-being of the young people who make up a significant portion of Glendale’s residents to the teachers and staff employed by GUSD who live and work in our community.

In four years, during a tumultuous time in local politics, Ms. Cross has delivered on many of her promises. Along with her board colleagues, she advocated for an independent financial audit of GUSD. This audit exposed long-standing issues in how budgets were created, monitored and spent, allowing the district to begin addressing these problems with greater transparency and accountability. Many of these challenges stemmed from decisions made by previous boards.

In response to concerns from a group of parents about curriculum transparency, Ms. Cross worked with staff to organize two curriculum nights where teachers and administrators were available with materials to answer questions across grade levels and subjects.

She has visited schools and classrooms across the district to hear directly from students, families and staff. She is a strong supporter of LGBTQ+ students and special education students, and has worked with the board and unions to ensure schools follow state laws regarding ICE.

Ms. Cross has pledged to restore the seventh period elective at middle and high schools – a cut made in part to improve teacher pay and retention. She has also raised concerns about the use of expensive, unproven education technology like iReady, which is now the subject of a class action lawsuit over student privacy.

She opposed the district’s transition back to traditional math, demonstrating her willingness to stand by what she believes is best for students.

Most impressively, she has done all of this while battling breast cancer and raising three children as a single parent. She has earned a second term and I encourage local voters to support her.

Elisabeth DiCarlo
Glendale

Questions the Wisdom of Publishing a Letter

Re: Letter to the editor published April 16 in the Crescenta Valley Weekly from Herbert Molano, “Why the City Clerk Matters More Than You Think.”

Mr. Molano wrote that a 2024 ballot measure had no opposition and complained that the Glendale city clerk “declined to seek out a counter-argument.”

Our elected city clerk acted wisely and appropriately as a neutral arbiter. The city clerk’s job does not include finding supporters or opponents of a ballot measure for the purpose of giving people a choice. To make a comparison: it would not be the city clerk’s job, or the Secretary of State’s job, to find candidates against those running unopposed.

If Mr. Molano did not like the ballot measure he could have written something to oppose it. He did not – and so should blame himself if he believes the ballot measure should not have passed.

Was publishing Mr. Molano’s letter without checking the facts a good decision?

Elise Kalfayan
Glendale

Letters are offered from the perspective of individual writers, which may or may not be in agreement with the editor and staff of the Crescenta Valley Weekly.