We Get Letters

Feb. 2 Political Gumbo

Mr. Coleman:
Thank you for your coverage of the candidate forum held at Madison Elementary last week. I have one correction to today’s Opinion piece. I attended the Forum and spoke with Kevin Wheeler at the forum before it began. I asked why his name plate wasn’t on the stage with the candidates. He said he had it on his schedule and in his calendar (and correctly noted “hey, I’m here”). He said he spoke to the organizers and they told him they did not have his RSVP so he wasn’t included.

I was not witness to any of those conversations with the organizers, but I find it very poor that a candidate who showed up at the forum was denied the opportunity to participate. You make a very valid point that those of us in District 4 deserve to hear as much from the candidates as we can. More info allows us to make better decisions!
Again, thank you for your coverage and for your time.
Take care,
Kevin C. Castaing

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I’ve had mixed thoughts on Police Oversight be it civilian or council but I do believe it never hurts to have an extra set of eyes to protect all concerned and involved. Maybe an integrated civilian-council oversight committee might be something to discuss. Saying that my councilmember Steve Madison has always supported the PPD and has advocated for an increase in the public safety budget and in the hiring of more officers to get it’s staffing level up to par. In my opinion the Pasadena Police Officers Association is supporting Steve Madison because of his strong support for public safety not only in District 6 but citywide. They are supporting proven leadership and that is more important now than ever in the March 3rd election. Homelessness and Crime are two of the most important neighborhood issues in every district in Pasadena. Safe neighborhoods are great neighborhoods. Now is not the time to reinvent the wheel.

Robin Salzer

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Feb. 3 City’s Recreation and Human Service Department Could Take Over Park Maintenance

Thanks for coverage.

I think the issue is “efficiency” but no naturalist. The parks and the Arroyo could be better by using the natural strengths of the natural plants more and hardscape and low cost clean-ups less. Should the parks be more than constrained grass and not yet unsafe trees? Can the Arroyo be more than a channel for flood control, gutter water, and sewage lines? The Berkshire Creek Project in Oak Grove and the newly filtered street gutter runoff controls are helps, but silt-buried stream beds, clogged low flow inlets, broken paths under the Colorado Street Bridge (fka the Suicide Bridge), and reduced spaces for natural birds and animals need something better than “efficiency.”

Let’s see if the Commission gets it. What are the new job descriptions and how will the positions be filled? Who will be in charge?

John Fauvre

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Got something to say? Email Managing Editor Andre Coleman, at andrec@pasadenanowmagazine.com