FAA demands understandable The Federal Aviation Administration...

FAA demands understandable

The Federal Aviation Administration has every right to demand the

return of the $40 million grant. The Burbank Airport Authority

accepted the money with the intent of building a new airport but

failed to do so. For many years, the authority and the city were

playing cat-and-mouse with their decisions, and finally the big old

cat caught the mouse. A little less talk and more action makes things

happen much sooner.

Ivan W. Cregger

Burbank

Feathered friend at Farmers’ Market

On April 5, I was asked to leave the Farmers’ Market in downtown

Burbank.

My crime: I had brought my best friend, Miguel, with me.

Miguel’s crime: He is a macaw.

Miguel has accompanied me to the Farmers’ Market many times. He is

well-behaved and sits on my shoulder, chattering happily to himself

and often saying “hi there” to passersby. He is the delight of

children and adults alike. Vendors have given him treats, and he

enjoys his time in the sun and all the attention.

Today, after walking once around the market to scope out prices, I

was approached by a woman whose name and official function are

unknown to me. I was told that I must leave because birds are not

permitted at the Farmers’ Market. I was further told that many of the

farmers were concerned because birds can be carries of exotic

Newcastle disease.

Rather than risk a “scene,” I complied. Miguel and I went home,

minus the fruits and vegetables I had come to purchase.

I am very angry. The Farmers’ Market is held on a city-owned

parking lot. To my knowledge, it is not illegal to bring properly

controlled pets onto city parking lots. Many other patrons at the

Farmers’ Market are accompanied by pet dogs, and they are permitted

to stay. Wild birds on the telephone wires and in the trees are

permitted to stay. Why is my healthy bird singled out for exclusion?

In any event, I will be checking with the city to learn if it is,

in fact, unlawful to attend the Farmers’ Market with a bird.

In the meantime, I will be purchasing my fresh fruit and produce

elsewhere. I no longer feel welcome at the Farmers’ Market.

Jef Norton

Burbank

New signals tying up traffic

First, it was Will Ray who complained about the new traffic lights

screwing up traffic. Now, it is my turn.

The intersection in question is Olive Avenue and Victory

Boulevard. If city employees and officials thought I was persistent

in complaining about the intersections of Clark Avenue, Victory

Boulevard and Olive Avenue, they might want to hear me roar at a

future council meeting.

The day they were putting in the new signals, traffic was backed

up for blocks. They did not even warn the residents they would be

fooling around with the signals. Now, days later, the traffic is

still backing up and causing more problems. Due to the backlog,

drivers are trying harder to drive through the left-turn lane to get

to Olive Avenue. Even at 6:30 p.m., traffic going south on Victory

Boulevard was backed up north of Clark Avenue.

I was in the left-turn lane to go left onto Clark Avenue. Two

drivers wanted to drive through my left-turn lane. One had enough

sense to turn into the parking lot at the 7-Eleven store. The other

wanted to drive right through me and she became frustrated when I did

not budge. When I motioned that it was a left-turn lane, she finally

moved over to the appropriate lane.

I would like to thank city employees for their infinite wisdom in

changing the traffic lights for the worse instead of for the better.

Now come and fix it!

Eden Rosen

Burbank

Traffic signs needed to keep drivers safe

Now that our City Council is comfortable within the confines of

the council chambers, I ask that the drivers in our community also be

afforded a safer path of travel.

Two corrective traffic signs at the lanes just south of Costco

would provide that safety.

Talbert Kanigher

Burbank