Since the Montrose Shopping Park Assn. and Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce seem to want to honor things other than our veterans, I, as a veteran, feel they are doing a great disservice to Memorial Day. Memorial Day isn't about Frank Roberts, it's about vets.
BOB WALLIS
Glendale
Change not easy, but historically graceful
Regarding the controversy swirling around the proposed construction of a headquarters building for the Armenian Society of Los Angeles, I am once again saddened to see a letter to the editor that exploits racial-ethnic discord to defend a position on an issue before our community.
The resistance by members of the First Presbyterian Church to a major development next door should not be interpreted as a manifestation of ethnic hostility. Resistance is totally understandable on the basis of pragmatic interests. It would likely occur regardless of the identity of the people proposing the development ("Design of hall clears agency hurdle," May 10). I'm sure these church members would still be concerned if the group planning the development were English, or an assemblage from Iowa or Burbank, for that matter.
I believe that Glendale has been exceptionally welcoming to the different ethnic groups that have settled in the city. I have watched Glendale deal with demographic change in an extremely tolerant and progressive way. The Armenian influx began in 1979, intensifying in the late 1980s. I believe that most of my Armenian and non-Armenian friends would agree that Glendale has been good to the Armenians and the Armenians have been good to Glendale.
Yet, longtime residents sometimes let their dislike of change lead to resentment toward the people who are driving change, while Armenians sometimes confuse this resentment with ethnic intolerance. That is counter-productive. It constitutes a lack of appreciation for the good fortune we have shared.
