Speed Limit

Man arrested for allegedly having knife NORTHEAST GLENDALE -- A Glendale man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a knife after he allegedly gave a Glendale Police patrol officer the middle finger and drove away, exceeding the speed limit by about 20 mph, police said. Oganes Mkrtchyan, 36, was driving past the officer at about 3:15 p.m. Monday on Wilson Avenue when he yelled expletives at an officer and sped away, driving about 45 mph in a 25 mph residential area, police said.

I commend Carol Welling ("Good luck crossing the street," May 12) and Poul Johansen ("Brand Boulevard is a danger zone," May 12) for trying to draw attention to the horrific deaths from automobiles. I never use the word "accident," because most of these are preventable. All I can say is: Give it up. When my husband was killed 32 years ago by a careless driver, I thought perhaps I could make a difference. I wrote letters everywhere, spoke to whoever would listen, etc., etc. It is like swimming against the tide.

California Highway Patrol officers issued nearly five dozen traffic citations this past weekend on the steep and mountainous Angeles Crest Highway in response to reports of speeding motorcyclists and close-call collisions. The enforcement campaign yielded citations for speeding, unsafe passing and other violations as California Highway Patrol officers staked out the 66-mile route popular with motorcyclists eager to test their skills on the roadway's tight curve. Some near-collisions, including skids into oncoming traffic, have been posted on YouTube.

Lt. Don Meredith On May 31, H.G. "Gil" Martinez wrote a letter to the editor about a speeding citation he has been issued. In his letter, Martinez, admitted to the violation and thought it unfair he was cited and found guilty by a judge. Martinez is quick to try and focus the blame on others. He states that there is a "good-ol'-boy" network alive in Glendale that warrants a department of Justice investigation. Martinez, indicated he would like to know at what speed a ticket would be written for going faster than the posted speed.

Robert Chacon A long-simmering battle to bring sidewalks to some of La Canada Flint- ridge's residential streets is once again coming to a boiling point. This time, the focus is on Chevy Chase Drive between Descanso Drive and Foothill Boulevard, where some residents say sidewalks are needed to ensure the safety of pedestrians, but others oppose the notion, citing the desire to maintain the area's rural and rustic charm. Homes on this stretch of the street were built on large lots, and owners often kept their horses on the property.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE ? A 72-year-old crossing guard is in serious condition today after being hit by a car while on duty at Glenoaks Elementary School Thursday morning. Jorge Abando was about halfway through the East Glenoaks Boulevard crosswalk in front of the school at about 7:20 a.m. when he was struck by a Mitsubishi 3000GT allegedly driven by a 17-year-old Glendale boy who was traveling eastbound along Glenoaks Boulevard, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said. "He was hit, landed on the hood and then rolled off into the street," Lorenz said.

This is in response to the letter suggesting we go back to the 55 mph speed limit to conserve gasoline and for safer driving. Nothing could be further from actual facts. The modern cars, circa mid-1980s to present, generally get better fuel mileage in the 65-70 mph range. The engines are computer-controlled fuel injection and the cars' gearing is such that it is more efficient at the 70-mph range. When the 55-mph limit was raised to 65 with 70 on some interstate freeways, I ran a test on my 1988 Ford T-Bird with a 302-cubic-inch V-8 and a four-speed automatic transmission, which the gear is an overdrive (.65 to 1)

GLENDALE — Three people were injured when a Lincoln Town Car traveling southbound on Western Avenue toward Glenoaks Boulevard collided into three parked cars and an oncoming Ford pick-up truck, on Sunday evening. The driver and passenger of the Lincoln suffered facial injuries and were transported to County-USC Medical Center for treatment, said Sgt. Mike Glassick of the Glendale Police Department. Based on the injuries, the passenger of the Lincoln was not wearing his seat belt, Glassick said.

Janine Marnien Recurring problems with speeding drivers on Briggs Avenue have county officials eyeing it as a potential test spot for a pilot program. The Department of Public Works wants to buy a device used to measure and post speeds of drivers as an educational tool for the community, spokesman Ken Pellman said. "It would tell drivers, 'This is the speed you're traveling, this is the speed posted,'" he said. The device, which does not have an official name, works like mobile trailers that track and post speeds.

According to Mary Caverly ("Children's safety must come first," Community Forum, March 14), the traffic roundabouts are supposed to slow down traffic to reduce the risk of injury or death to children who "play on and near the streets." Why is that? When I was growing up, my friends and I were not allowed to play in the streets, and we were taught to stop and look both ways before crossing the street to avoid that risk. Our parents had the good sense to know that playing children and moving automobiles do not belong in the same place, and that the streets belong to the automobiles.