Merchants and Chambers

Your article on the spate of Ventura Boulevard stores being victimized by vandals shooting out glass windows highlights a longstanding problem, one that deserves the light of continuing media coverage.

However, your headline misleads by stating that merchants offered a reward of $1,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the vandals. In reality, as the article points out, the rewards are offered by the chambers of commerce of Encino, Tarzana and Woodland Hills.

Chambers of commerce include among their membership legal and accounting professionals, financial institutions, service establishments, consultants and many others. It is inaccurate and exclusionary to make merchants and chamber of commerce members synonymous.

It is our entire business community that unites to oppose this sort of reprehensible action--not just the merchants who are directly affected.

MARTIN M. COOPER

Encino

Cooper is president of the Encino Chamber of Commerce