Improving CSD

Regarding: LA County Notice of Public Hearing, Project No. 2018-000331-(5), Rc’d 26 Jun 2019:

The work put into creating a single Regional Community Standards District (CSD) for the full length of Foothill Boulevard between Briggs and Pennsylvania avenues is fantastic. I applaud those who have worked on this effort.

However, the proposed modifications to existing standards fail to address a critical point regarding sign language. Signs go a long way toward establishing the nature of a community. Current signage along the entire length of Foothill Boulevard is in multiple languages with no English included on the signs. This shows exclusivity rather than inclusiveness! It sends the message to those of us who only speak/recognize English that we should not bother understanding the nature of that business.

I propose that the new community standard include a requirement that the major sign of the establishment include its name and function in English lettering at least 25% the size of the major lettering of the sign, and at least large enough to be readable from the roadway. I believe this would present a message consistent with the La Crescenta community as a whole.

Jim Lumsden

La Crescenta

Preparing for the 4th of July

Hello, Crescenta Valley! This is the 13th year of the Crescenta Valley Fireworks Association and our fourth year back at Crescenta Valley High School providing a spectacular fireworks show for the community.

The main objective of CV Fireworks is to provide a safe environment with the hope of no home fireworks or injuries. It’s a night of family fun and maybe a reunion or two. It’s a night for celebration – not trips to the hospital!

We will be recognizing veteran Douglas Leoncavallo (U.S. Navy, retired). He is the recipient of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (1), Joint Service Commendation Medal (3), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (4), Joint Service Achievement Medal (2), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (2), Good Conduct Medal (4) and various expeditionary medals and unit citations. 

Gates open at 4 p.m. and there will be games, inflatable rides, face painting, glo sticks and live music by Mike Perry and the Title Wave Band. Be sure and bring your appetite as we will have nine food trucks offering several gastronomical choices.

Sarah Battye of the Hummingbird Conservatory will perform our national anthem live. During the song you will see some rockets “bursting in air” followed a few minutes later by the fireworks show, which is choreographed to music (also a warning to bring the dogs in). Our own special pyro “Hutch” will be firing those rockets high enough for all those home parties to easily see.

We thank the Glendale schools for allowing us to have the event at their site and ask that ticketholders respect their rules of bringing only water onto the field.  There are several tables and chairs set up for your convenience next to the field. 

Being an all-volunteer organization, we thank our sponsors and community for donations.   

We hope you have a great and safe 4th of July whether at Crescenta Valley High School or watching from the surrounding hills and neighborhoods.

Crescenta Valley Fireworks Committee

How Can Our State Be More Transparent?

There is strong reason to believe that the state, as well as local governments, is not spending the money on proposed projects that were taxed for or voted on. If one studies state and/or city budgets, it is impossible [to decipher] because all income goes in a general account. Perhaps the people need to insist on a future ballot [measure] that [directs] revenue from a gas tax be put in a specific account marked (for example) gasoline tax.

From the beginning in 1923, the stated purpose of the gasoline tax was to build and maintain roads. The “transportation improvement fee” is earmarked for California’s Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Program.

In reality, motor-fuel taxes have been looking less and less like user fees in California and elsewhere because state legislatures (and the U.S. Congress) periodically raid highway trust funds to pay for unrelated programs.

On July 1, there was an increase of $.056 cents per gallon [of gasoline bringing] the total excise tax to $.473 per gallon plus [an additional] sales tax of 2.25% equaling $.484 per gallon. We are also paying a federal excise tax of $.184 per gallon for the grand total of $.668 per gallon. And gas tax raises will happen yearly for an undefined period. These raises will adjust according to the California Consumer Price Index. 

These continued increases of taxes take critical money out of the pockets of lower income families. I often wonder how many people have been forced onto the streets or to near-poverty because of government mismanagement.

FYI: based on [the government] figures, the new gas tax should raise for the state $6,329,443,828 billion per year. Do you think we are getting our money’s worth?

Ken Grayson

Grayson’s Tune Town

New Prop 218 Notice

Thank you, CV Weekly, for the excellent coverage of the June 25 CVWD (Crescenta Valley Water District) board meeting (CVWD Holds Off on Rate Increase, June 27)! CVWD will not increase water and sewer rates on July 1. Instead, rates will remain as they are until CVWD sends out a new Prop. 218 notice followed 45 days later by a public hearing and subsequent vote by the CVWD board to raise/not raise rates.

Kudos to CVWD that heard our complaint about the Prop 218 notice, which was sent out in April 2019, specifically the wording regarding protest letters. I argued that the wording disadvantaged the community in its ability to protest compared to prior years.

I’m currently neutral about water and sewer rate increases; I just wanted to make sure the community had a fair shot at protesting the proposed rate increases, if that’s how they felt. I wanted to make sure the playing field was level and not tilted in CVWD’s favor.

For those of you who are against any rate increase, you should plan now what you want to do. But I would urge all of you to at least make an attempt to determine if the proposed rate increases are valid/fair or not. That is what I’m trying to do.

The CVWD board mentioned that it may review the text for the new Prop 218 notice at the CVWD board meeting on Tuesday, July 9 (or it may be scheduled for a later date; check the CVWD website). I plan to attend and will try to make sure that CVWD reverts back to the text it used from 2014-18 regarding [submitting] protest letters.

Marilyn Tyler

La Crescenta

Perspective on Flag Display

Joe Kroning;s letter (Volume 10, number 43) caused me to think that maybe we all need to re-evaluate our priorities related to displaying the flag.

Lack of flag display may be disappointing, but the flag is a symbol not the substance of the country. When we pledge we should not pledge to the flag but through the flag to the United States of America.

Just flying the flag doesn’t substitute for supporting the values of our country

William Hall

Glendale