Real, not symbolic, issues are the ones that truly matter
Foothill Boulevard in La Crescenta has more serious problems than
the language of the signs outside businesses.
Consider the traffic -- albeit temporary -- created by the
construction of a new Vons shopping complex near the corner of
Pennsylvania Avenue and Foothill. Or the dangerously timed left-turn
signal at La Crescenta Avenue and Foothill. Or the difficulty of
making turns from parking lots onto this very busy thoroughfare. Or
even the generally unattractive pedestrian area along this starkly
landscaped boulevard.
With real concerns that affect safety and mobility of residents in
La Crescenta, it would seem like the Crescenta Valley Town Council
would have its hands full. Instead, the council's discussion over how
many signs outside La Crescenta businesses should be in English --
and the predictable debate this discussion has spawned in the
News-Press -- has diverted the public's attention to an issue the
nativist element of News-Press readers has jumped on.
We won't shop in stores that display signs in languages other than
English, they write. Why can't today's immigrants learn English like
immigrants of days past, others say. It is always so much easier to
debate symbolic issues, such as language and immigration, than it is
to address real concerns.
Kudos to the city of Glendale for installing lighted crosswalks
along Foothill Boulevard and in front of Clark Magnet High School on
New York Avenue, among other dangerous crossing areas in the city.
It's nice to see some government agencies take positive action on
issues that matter.
CHRIS DAVIS
Glendale
Those signs don't create a very attractive neighborhood
Racism and discrimination is a two-edged sword. Maybe store owners
who only want their own ethnic groups for customers want their own
signs. Wouldn't that mean they are the racists?
I think it would behoove everyone to question motives and
accusations at this point. Our cities would be better off printing
signs in all languages.
I'm against littering our neighborhoods. From the looks of things
nowadays, maybe some immigrants have left their countries because
they must be up to their necks in trash.
JUDITH SCHNEIDER
Glendale
A couple of thoughts about La Crescenta's latest news
I would like to comment on two stories recently published in your
paper.
The first is the story concerning the likelihood of another try at
establishing center medians on Foothill Boulevard. Just a couple of
