Safety an issue with parkway trees The...

Safety an issue

with parkway trees

The scalpel has started cutting a number of Burbank’s city

employees and services. As a result, the city administration and

school system will feel some pain.

Some of us have a program that we wish the city would go easy on:

the parkway tree- trimming service.

In January, I called the city and was told they couldn’t come out

to Evergreen Street until May because of low manpower. Sure enough,

they showed up in May. We had three Liquidambars that needed

extensive trimming. They only did one.

After a phone call or two, they returned in July and trimmed the

remaining two trees.

It’s more than an issue of aesthetics. It involved safety. Falling

branches of a large size can afflict serious damage to cars and

people.

We should change priorities by shifting program cuts so we won’t

have lawsuits that could cost a lot more than hiring extra personnel.

Wesley Greene

Burbank

BTAC committed to assist less fortunate

Much has been written in the Burbank Leader over the last few

weeks regarding the Burbank Temporary Aid Center (BTAC). The BTAC

Board of Directors has purposely remained silent, and we continue to

believe that the details of an employee’s relationship with the

center is a private matter, and must be dealt with as such. What

troubles us most going forward is the potential for the fallout to

negatively affect those people in our community who are in need of

assistance.

We feel it important that the community knows that BTAC has been

successfully operating for more than four months without an executive

director. While the situation has placed a heavier burden on those

employees and volunteers remaining, they have risen to the challenge

and our clients are being served. Hunger does not yield to personnel

disputes and homelessness does not disappear when staff members

depart. What we as board members have not and cannot forget is that

the mission of the organization is to assist those who are less

fortunate than us in the community, and we hope that the citizens of

Burbank will afford us the grace and patience needed to find a new

executive director without penalizing the people who are really in

need. Our doors are open, and we are actively looking for a new

executive director, and we hope we will have your support in the

future.

BTAC Board of Directors

Catholic charity and BTAC team up

I have been a volunteer at Loaves and Fishes (Catholic Charities)

in Glendale for almost two years, and in the last few months, I have

been very impressed and gratified with the cooperation that is

occurring between Loaves and Fishes and Burbank Temporary Aid Center.

Both agencies help each other in many ways in helping their similar

clientele -- the homeless and those in need. Michelle Keilty at

Loaves and Fishes and Stacy Schumacher at BTAC are in touch with each

other when either has too much of a perishable product, to help and

share for better service to both clienteles. Now, Bob Goodell, a

volunteer at Loaves and Fishes, is going weekly to BTAC to pick up

excess bread and food (from Trader Joe’s and Costco) for our people

at Loaves and Fishes. We are fortunate to have agencies, staff and

volunteers that help our less fortunate citizens.

Celida Deseran

Glendale

Story subject hopes to inspire disabled

When I opened my copy of the Leader on Aug. 2, I was pretty

shocked that a little human-interest story (“On the road again”)

turned up on the front page. I was even more shocked to see how many

people read the Leader by the reaction I’ve received since then. And

although I am extremely grateful to everyone involved in getting the

article published, my reason for agreeing to be interviewed was to

hopefully inspire other disabled people to check out the resources

available and become a squeaking wheel, if necessary, because there

really is more to life after being confined to a wheelchair.

Those of us who live in Burbank are extremely lucky, since we have

a handicapped person-friendly city. There have been many instances

where I have found something out of whack and, although it may take

time, it does get fixed. For instance, curb cuts have been installed

or modified when necessary, crossing signal buttons moved or

adjusted, restroom facilities have become more wheelchair-accessible,

and handicapped parking signs distributed in needed areas. (Thank you

Eric Hansen, deputy director of Parks and Recreation/Senior and Human

Services and Father Lawrence Signey, pastor, St. Robert Bellarmine

Church). We are also fortunate to have transportation services like

our wonderful Burbank Transportations Service at our disposal so we

can get out into the community and participate in life. The Joslyn

Adult Center can assist us in finding in-home help, plus the center

is an excellent referral resource for older adults and other

individuals with special needs. Providence St. Joseph Medical Center

and many other agencies in our community are also excellent

resources.

I have found that our community is willing to help the disabled,

but they really don’t know what to do because we haven’t told them.

It’s our responsibility to inform them so that if a change is

necessary in order to enhance our lives, it can be implemented. I am

finding a whole new set of glitches now that I have my van -- mostly

trying to find handicapped parking spaces wide enough so I can get in

and out of the van with relative ease. I have been talking with some

of the larger businesses encouraging them to re-stripe their parking

lots to include van accessible spaces. And so far, I’ve had some

pretty positive responses.

To those of you who are disabled, get out into the community, and

if you see something that needs fixing in order to facilitate your

journey, let someone know. And to those of you on the receiving end

of a request, please be open to change because you could be the next

one who may need to avail yourself of our community’s service.

Kathy Sanks

Burbank