Editor joins dubious list in letting go...

Editor joins dubious list in letting go of Rogers

Esther Espinoza. Teresa Karam. Irma Loose. Robert Garcin and Carl

Raggio, former airport commissioners representing Glendale. Stan and

Molly Hyman. David Piroli. Chappy Czapwieski. Former airport manager

Tom Greer and current manager Dios Marrero. Phil and Carol Berlin.

Former councilwoman Susan Spanos. School board members Richard Raad,

Elena Hubbell, Mike McDonald, Trish Burnett and Connie Lackey.

Pasadena council members and airport commissioners Chris Holden and

Joyce Streator. Former Assemblyman Pat Nolan, who was convicted of

corruption charges and jailed. Howard Rothenbach. Former councilman

Ted McConkey.

Until recently, this was a list of virtually everyone in Burbank

familiar with the work that columnist Will Rogers did for almost 15

years, who didn’t care for or appreciate his phenomenal value to the

community and the contributions he’s made. Jeff Keating has added his

name to the list. Unfortunately for us, Keating seems proud of

joining this group. We are sure he doesn’t know any better because he

has probably never heard of most of these people and doesn’t know why

they are birds of a feather.

RICHARD and

MELANIE JENSEN

Burbank

Reader wants gossip and Rogers

What has happened to the Burbank Leader lately? I used to be able

to keep my finger on the pulse of Burbank by reading the Community

Forum section, as well as Will Rogers’ column. Now, Rogers has

mysteriously disappeared and the forum section has been slimmed down

to make room for News-Press City Editor David Silva’s half-page

commentary.

I’m afraid I can’t get much information about Burbank from the

Leader anymore. But I can always see what’s on Silva’s mind. I guess

it’s back to listening to gossip at the Coral Cafe again.

WILL RAY

Burbank

‘Deep thinkers’ needed to solve school problems

We elected the right man when we picked Dave Kemp for the Board of

Education. His answers to questions posed by the Leader were right on

target.

Axing an extensive number of school teachers to satisfy budget

problems seems to be a poor way to satisfy a financial problem.

What’s even worse is the way it’s been done. Putting teachers on

notice that they might lose their jobs, but not guaranteeing the

loss, must leave them at least a little uneasy. Some will start

looking for new jobs right away and we could lose valuable personnel.

Excessive testing has got to create a tendency to teach to the

test, taking time away from exploring new educational ideas.

What’s happening to vocational classes? Are they being cut as well

because of the budget? As Dave Kemp says, “Not every child is going

to be college material.”

The present board seems to have acted as an oligarchy in reaching

decisions regarding the district. As Kemp says, “I think we need to

involve more people in the community to study our spending

priorities.” That includes teachers, parents, the major businesses in

Burbank and, not least of all, the deep thinkers in our midst.

WESLEY GREENE

Burbank