http://www.lacanadaonline.com/opinion/?track=rss Headlines from LA Canada en ©2015, LA Canada Thu, 3 Sep 2015 13:12:00 -0700 http://www.lacanadaonline.com/opinion/tn-vsl-letter-another-story-of-power-pole-horror-20150903,0,2868485.story?track=rss Re: “ Residents prompt city review of power poles ,” Aug. 27. We thought we were the only ones in La Cañada Flintridge battling with Edison over poles. We have been in our La Cañada home since 1978. The property we purchased had a pole smack in the middle of the property and we learned to live with it. We accepted this unsightly inconvenience along with a cesspool and septic tank and had hopes that as the city progressed, there would be changes made. We do now have sewers. The pole situation has only gotten much worse. Thu, 3 Sep 2015 13:12:00 PDT http://www.lacanadaonline.com/opinion/tn-vsl-letter-unsanitary-canines-and-outdoor-cuisine-20150903,0,2852306.story?track=rss Re: “ Dogs at restaurants violate health codes ,” Mailbag, Aug. 20. A recent letter to your Mailbag regarding dogs on restaurant surfaces prompts me to point out what I too witnessed: dogs sitting on and licking the surfaces of outdoor eating tables. This was at a better-than-fast-food type place and at a coffee/beverage establishment. Onlookers acted like the dog was cute in both cases. Thu, 3 Sep 2015 13:08:00 PDT http://www.lacanadaonline.com/opinion/tn-vsl-letter-just-say-no-to-early-start-to-school-year-20150903,0,2419843.story?track=rss Re: “ Sinnette defends start date ,” Aug. 27. May I reply to Supt. Wendy Sinnette’s defense of the earlier school start date in La Cañada Unified School District? Thu, 3 Sep 2015 13:02:00 PDT http://www.lacanadaonline.com/opinion/tn-vsl-letter-dogs-at-restaurants-violate-health-codes-20150820,0,1232215.story?track=rss On two recent dining experiences in La Cañada, my wife and I were troubled by what we observed in eating establishments that would be considered above-average chains (better than fast food). I won’t mention the names of the places; only what we observed, which was customers being allowed to bring dogs into the dining areas. Thu, 20 Aug 2015 11:35:00 PDT http://www.lacanadaonline.com/opinion/tn-vsl-letter-carr-is-the-crime-fighting-candidate-20150820,0,314776.story?track=rss Re: “Barger pulls ahead with good reason,” Mailbag, Aug. 13 . We need a crime fighter on the Board of Supervisors. Elan Carr is more than the leading candidate for Los Angeles County Supervisor in the Fifth District. Not only does polling show him with a double-digit lead, but he also has a raised a substantial amount of money — almost solely from individual supporters, not special interests. While this is impressive, Elan’s most important achievement has been to work for the L.A. County district attorney’s office prosecuting some of the most notorious gangs, as well as cases involving domestic violence and cruelty to animals. Before going to work at the D.A. he served in the U.S. Army during the war in Iraq, leading an antiterrorism team on life-saving missions throughout that country. While there he also prosecuted terrorists for committing crimes against our men and women in uniform. Thu, 20 Aug 2015 11:29:00 PDT By Reg Green http://www.lacanadaonline.com/opinion/tn-vsl-guest-column-an-encounter-with-the-elements-20150820,0,4787367.story?track=rss As I go out walking on these summer days and scan the skies for the possibility of another freak rainstorm, pictures come into my mind of my hikes while growing up in the North of England, where rain not only comes with the territory but is the territory: underfoot, overhead and all around. Thu, 20 Aug 2015 10:00:00 PDT By Kristen Brakeman http://www.lacanadaonline.com/opinion/tn-vsl-op-ed-summer-and-tradition-get-shortchanged-20150813,0,7397309.story?track=rss In 2012 La Cañada Unified School District revealed its plan to move the start of school up by two weeks. After hearing complaints from parents, the board agreed to conduct a survey. According to a Facebook post by school board Vice President Ellen Multari, 944 people took the survey, 717 of whom were parents. Of those 944 people, 55%, or 524 voted yes to the early start, so the plan went forward. It is unclear if only one vote was allowed per household. Incidentally, there are 2,500 LCUSD households, so the “yes” vote potentially represented less than 20% of LCUSD families. Thu, 13 Aug 2015 12:55:00 PDT http://www.lacanadaonline.com/opinion/tn-vsl-letter-an-early-start-to-school-lacks-sense-20150813,0,1911797.story?track=rss This is the second year that La Cañada schools begin in early/mid-August and end in late May. And many parents and teachers are not happy with it. Thu, 13 Aug 2015 12:34:00 PDT http://www.lacanadaonline.com/opinion/tn-vsl-letter-put-the-brakes-on-710-truck-traffic-20150813,0,7806494.story?track=rss We are opposed to the proposed extension of the 710 Freeway, especially the building of an expensive tunnel. Thu, 13 Aug 2015 12:31:00 PDT http://www.lacanadaonline.com/opinion/tn-vsl-letter-puglia-s-quotation-may-be-erroneous-20150813,0,4993203.story?track=rss Dr. Joe Puglia’s Aug. 6 column offered the following quote: “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb deciding what to have for dinner. Liberty is a well armed lamb.” The most succinct analysis comes from Wikipedia: “Widely attributed to [Benjamin] Franklin on the Internet, sometimes without the second sentence. It is not found in any of his known writings ... The phrasing itself has a very modern tone …” The quote is most frequently seen with “lunch” instead of “dinner” (Wikipedia notes that the word lunch does not appear anywhere until after 1820) and the second sentence is usually quoted “Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote,” which is worryingly anarchistic and contrary to the purity of Franklin’s and the Founding Fathers’ beloved belief in Democracy. Smart Franklin would never have been trapped in that simplistic wolf-sheep-vote-gun analogy. Thu, 13 Aug 2015 12:26:00 PDT