Town Council moves forward

With 2007 now just a memory, the Crescenta Valley Town Council is gearing up for a year of new projects while continuing to tackle residual issues including trash, graffiti, cell towers, and the need for a community dog park.

“I am really excited and looking forward to working with [the county and council’s newly formed] task force and identifying a site for a dog park,” said Cheryl Davis, one of the three newly elected Town Council members. “I hope 2008 is the year of the dog,” Davis said. In her president’s report, Grace Andrus listed significant issues and activities the council addressed in 2007, including moving the council meetings to the Crescenta Valley High School Career Center; beautifying the senior garden at Crescenta Valley Park; community trash cleanup and Clean and Green campaign; presenting one beautification and three “Honored Historic Homes” awards. The Council also wrote letters to officials with the county or the city of Glendale expressing the council’s opinion or community needs.

One issue involved the MTA’s proposed 710 Tunnel Feasibility Assessment. “This council realized that the proposed tunnel would adversely effect the Crescenta Valley by dumping traffic, including semi-trucks, onto the already packed 210 freeway,” Andrus said, adding, “this 11-year project would be expensive and would include placing mass ventilation structures along the tunnel, ignoring historic buildings in their paths. Therefore, we wrote a letter to register our opposition to the project.”

Additional projects the Town Council undertook in 2007 was the formation of the Banner Committee which raised funds to install Home Town Hero banners on Foothill Boulevard. Under the leadership of Councilman Frank Beyt, 400 pounds of supplies were collected for shipment through the United States Navy to troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. “The community response to this project was overwhelming,” Andrus said.

The Arts Committee was formed to work with the county to provide an outdoor stage for local artists.The site selected is in Crescenta Valley Park, nestled between stonewalls and surrounded by oak trees. “The possibilities for this site are almost endless and, when it comes to fruition, it will undoubtedly be one of our great community assets,” said Andrus.