Alternate vision on Americana was weak
In regards to Mailbag letter, “Not hard to oppose the Americana,” published in the Glendale News-Press on April 13, I find the piece as interesting as peristalsis and as exciting as its end product.
The issue of Americana was put on a ballot and voted on. The end product — a three-acre park, high-end stores and residences — is a welcome addition to Brand Boulevard.
The writer’s vision of an alternative development, on the other hand, did not muster up much of a support.
Frankly, the writer’s paucity of vision mixed with quixotic line of reasoning, is one alchemy you don’t want to see reach its zenith.
GREG ASTORIAN
Glendale
Merchants must rise to the occasion
The anticipation and now realization of the Americana at Brand has done for our downtown exactly what Americana supporters have known all along it would: It is causing our downtown businesses to work to create viable activities to stimulate new interest in our previously dismal downtown.
No longer able to rest on their status as the only game in town, the stimulus of the Americana has caused downtown merchants to finally rethink their attractiveness to the residents and to be creative.
The Downtown Dash 5K race that debuted in March was a good start in organizing events to our downtown. Would that have happened without the Americana looming in their face?
Nothing much stimulating has happened for years in our downtown, so one knows the answer to that question is no. Downtown merchants would still be sitting back complacently and maintaining the old boring downtown status quo.
Business owners are well aware that success depends on the continuous honing of business skills, education to expand expertise, fine-tuning customer service and implementing new and creative ideas to reach customers. Competition is the American way and causes all businesses to remain on their toes to survive. The Glendale business owners that realize the Americana is an opportunity rather than a crisis will rise to the occasion and serve all of us.
GERRI CRAGNOTTI
Glendale
Finally, the council’s agenda is set straight
Hurrah for Mayor John Drayman (“Mayor Drayman faces first salvo,” Thursday).
My wife and I gave up watching the City Council meetings when we had to sit through a bunch of gadflies before the meeting started.
