A Bad Name for Towsley Canyon Park

I am appalled at the decision by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to rename Towsley Canyon Park the Sen. Ed Davis Park.

If Sen. Davis contributed to saving this canyon from being turned into a garbage dump, he did so as one of the many hard-working volunteers who collected signatures, donated money, and spent long hours lobbying legislators throughout California.

Why should we honor this man, who has been paid well all these years he served in the state Senate? This only perpetuates the unfair practice of honoring undeserving politicians, paid servants of the people.

He has sold us out on various other issues. He has lent his state senatorial power to aid in the rampant development of the Santa Clarita Valley. He has left things undone that should have been strongly advocated. He has often acted as a pawn of moneyed interests.

He supported the development community in opposing growth control in our valley, citing his belief that cities with growth control measures are hotbeds of violence and gang crime.

Now he has announced that he is leaving the Santa Clarita Valley to retire to Morrow Bay, which has had a growth control measure in place for many years.

There were many volunteers who donated their time to save Towsley Canyon, fighting to create the Santa Clarita Woodlands Park. I advocate preserving that name. If the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy must find some reason to honor Davis, they should rename the Santa Monica Mountains the Sen. Ed Davis Mountains and leave the naming of our parks to the citizens of the Santa Clarita Valley.

JILL KLAJIC, Mayor, Santa Clarita