Mailbag: Hoover High has plenty of school spirit
After reading Dan Kimber’s column of Aug. 13 titled “Athletics can be ‘touchy’ subject,’” I can’t help but wonder if he was at the last Hoover High School football game.
The many in attendance would probably have a contrary opinion about his assertion that “school spirit, which often rallies around the football team, has all but disappeared from Hoover High School.” That last game of the year versus cross-town rival Glendale High ended in victory. The spirited celebrations after the game and the spirit on campus the following week were apparent to those paying attention.
Yes, more victories would foster more spirit, but sometimes a single victory against the cross-town rival is enough.
The column goes on to say that the addition of wrestling may be advantageous since many of our Hoover High kids come from a part of the world where wrestling is a major sport. But, the lack of interest in football, which should be explained the same way, is not. Rather, this column cites Hoover coaches as saying the lack of interest in football is due mainly to “spoiled, pampered young men on campus not up to the tough standards of a full contact sport.”
As in wrestling or any sport, an appreciation must be learned over time. It is unfair to point the finger of blame on those that have neither learned nor experienced the sport before.
Equating overall school spirit to the fortunes of the football team is not only fallacious, it does a disservice to the many other Hoover High School sports teams. You want spirit? Go to any Hoover Pep Team competition. You will see about 50 high school girls competing vigorously for their school. The same could be said for the basketball, soccer, water polo, softball, track teams, etc.
Football may have been the only gauge of school spirit in the old days, but spirit is alive and well in many facets of campus life at Hoover High — one need only look.
Another victory by the football team wouldn’t hurt.
Vic Bedrossian
Glendale
Grateful for letter on dishwasher trouble
A big “thank you” to Mary Murphy, whose recent letter to the editor told how the product Lemi Shine solved her dishwasher problems (“Dishwasher done in by hard water, July 24).
I have been going through the same thing, thinking my dishwasher was at fault.
Not being familiar with the product, I didn’t know where it could be purchased. Luckily, it was at a local supermarket, and I was thrilled with the results.
I can’t begin to thank her enough, Mary, for sharing this information.
Dorene Westerholm
La Crescenta
Veterans deserve top housing priority
Three hardy cheers for Councilwoman Laura Friedman! And a lasting hardy boo for Mayor Ara Najarian!
Friedman said recently that she was supportive of moving local military vets to the front of the line on waiting lists for affordable housing Section 8 vouchers (“Vets to front of the queue?” July 16). But Najarian said he was concerned about the lash back from those already on the wait list.
I say, “So what!” Those people already on the list wouldn’t even have a line to wait in if it weren’t for our veterans. Our veterans are our front line for any benefits.
Barbara Jean Ence
Glendale
Police should follow their own rules
Several of my friends have recently received tickets for not turning their wheels into the curb while visiting patients at a local nursing home on a hilly street.
Today, I passed the small police substation in Montrose on a portion of Ocean View Street where there is an incline. There were three police cars parked in front on the street and none of them had cocked their wheels into the curb!
Why is there a double standard?
Francis Adams
Glendale