Implement a policy of pedestrian safety

December 15, 2010

A reader writes that pedestrians in Glendale should never… (File )

Cars injure and kill our children ("Wilson student injured in collision," Dec 7). In the last two months, three students have been hit by cars in front of Glendale schools (Rosemont Middle School, John Muir Elementary and Wilson Middle School). Neither drivers nor pedestrians are paying attention while driving and walking around our schools.

Pedestrian safety must become the highest priority for parents, students, school administrators and the entire Glendale community. Bottom line — cars and children do not mix.

We would like to make all Glendale residents aware of a national program called Safe Routes to School (http://www.saferoutesinfo.org). The goal of this program is to encourage walking and biking to school, and to promote safe drop-off and pick-up procedures for those who must drive.

Safe Routes to School has been implemented at a few of our schools, but many more could benefit. The program is a partnership between parents, students, administrators, city government and residents of the community that can result in significant benefits to all: improved safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, improved fitness for students, improved traffic flow and improved air quality for the community.

If your school has a Safe Routes to School committee, get involved — it requires a cooperative effort. If your school does not have a committee, start one. Ask your principal or your PTA representatives for more information.

Let's get cars away from our schools. Walk or bike with your child to school. Your child's life is worth it — and you just might enjoy it.

Kara Sergile and Martha Sensel

Glendale

Editor's note: Sergile and Sensel are Safe Routes to School organizers.

A yea vote for more arts coverage

Thank you for covering the Increments exhibit in the Glendale News-Press ("Storefront bares its art," Dec. 9).

I had the pleasure of attending the opening on Friday night. It was well attended by the community and all agreed we need more art events, including the opening of galleries, other art museums and storefront installations. To really encourage artists to live and work in Glendale this must be the start of a larger movement.

Please continue to cover these events.

Laura Sarley

Glendale

An alternative idea for tax reform

This is an open letter to Reps. Adam Schiff and Brad Sherman.

Those taxpayers truly concerned about the national deficit know that the current negotiated proposal before the House is damaging to the long-term financial health of the nation.

Here is an alternative approach to achieve the core Democratic and Republican objectives: provide a tax credit to businesses based on their year-to-year increased payroll expense as a result of hiring those who've been unemployed more than one year. That makes the tax relief directly aligned to the objective of creating more jobs. It supports the unemployed and provides a tax break to business owners who created jobs in America.

The current proposal of giving a tax break to the wealthy, while hoping that their investments will increase jobs, has no guarantee of success, but it will guarantee a bigger national deficit.

Herbert Molano

Tujunga

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