Our Readers Write...or Wrong

Letters to the Editor

ContradictionCan anyone explain how the Chevron station has received the La Cañada Beautiful Award when they have right in front of the sign an overflowing trash can with trash that cannot be emptied? Attached is a picture, quite a contradiction of terms! Jon Burke, La Cañada

Frozen Yogurt

As a resident of La Cañada, I would like to respond to your story about Pinkberry [“Trendy Yogurt Store to Open in La Cañada,” July 12].

I have been a customer of Penguin’s Frozen Yogurt for years and enjoy not only the yogurt but also the family style atmosphere and the attention the employees give me when I come in. They even call me when my favorite flavor comes in.

I will continue to support this business and their large selection of yogurt over the small variety and stuffy feel that I felt when I visited other Pinkberry’s in the past. Long live Peanut Butter frozen yogurt! Jeff Amaral, La CañadaSTOP! Please!Three cheers. The revitalization of the Vons Plaza at Foothill and Oakwood is being revisited.

While the city and Vons are at it, they should revisit basic traffic laws.

Please put stop signs at all of the exits from the Vons Plaza parking lots, particularly those onto Oakwood. Shoppers exiting the plaza act as if they have the right of way and that everyone coming north on Oakwood is going to turn into the plaza. Hello, people. There are residences north of the plaza and cars headed that way have the right of way.

Spend a few minutes observing traffic exiting the plaza and you will see that given the choice between stopping and just rolling on out into the street, the majority of drivers just roll on out into the street.

Traffic gets really interesting when those leaving the Penguin’s and the La Cañada Public Library parking lots, both across Oakwood, do the same. All the while, there is traffic going north on Oakwood past all of these destinations.

So put stop signs at the exits to all of these parking lots.

And occasionally a sheriff’s deputy.

Anyone who spends much time driving in La Cañada knows that very few residents actually stop at stop signs. John Dreyer, La Cañada

Pasadena Pops

Several issues need to be brought to the attention of the Pasadena Pops Orchestra’s viewing public.

1. The Pops Orchestra (with essentially the same players) has been playing as an orchestra for over 19 years.

2. The current “merger” between the Pasadena Pops Orchestra and the Pasadena Symphony Orchestra is not a “merger” at all, it is essentially a take-over as the Symphony players have been given the right to take over all of the dates and all of the concerts that are currently being played by the Pops players.

3. Most of the Pops players will be losing their jobs as of this September.

4. All of the musical players for these two groups are represented by a union. Does the union represent ALL of the players? How can the union allow the Pasadena Symphony players to take jobs away from the Pops players when all of the players are a part of the same union? (I’m sure that if some bus drivers from L.A. tried to take the jobs away from the OC bus drivers, the union would not allow this to happen.)

5. Rachael Worby, when asked about why she did not support or fight for the players of the Pasadena Pops Orchestra, was silent (the players of the Pasadena Symphony should take note).

6. Contrary to the quote from Mr. O’Connor (representative of the symphony), most of the players in the Pops playing these concerts during the summer rely on this job to qualify them for health insurance through the Union.

The issues surrounding this story have been reported to the public, but the complete story has not been written. The side of the actual individual musicians has not been told. Most of the players in this orchestra are highly educated. Collectively there is literally thousands of years of experience being represented by the players of the Pops. Still, they are essentially being dismissed through no fault or consequence of their doing. The Pops orchestra had to add a Sunday night concert at Descanso Gardens this season due to demand from the public while Symphony concert attendance has been in a steady decline.

This take-over “merger” is being touted by the managements of both the orchestras as being good for the community as a whole. But is it really a good thing when we take away competition? The players of the Pops orchestra actually make less than the players of the Symphony orchestra so this “merger” is not money related. Because the Symphony players are paid more money, it will cost the newly formed orchestra/management more money over the course of a year to play all of the venues that are played by the now separate orchestras.

The only individual from the Pasadena Pops organization who is being guaranteed to keep a job is the conductor Rachael Worby (and this includes the Pasadena Pops Board of Directors). What is wrong with this picture? When one of the players in the orchestra who has played with the orchestra for the past 20 years asked if they would be receiving a severance package, they were told by the Pops acting executive director (Henry Reed) that they were only part-time employees and were not entitled to any compensation. This is just shameful and wrong.

The management of the Pasadena Pops Orchestra, i.e., the Foothill Friends of Music, certainly has the right to conduct business as they see fit. However, do they have the right to treat longtime, highly-skilled employees who have been faithful and who helped to build this orchestra from its inception (Ms. Worby has only been with the orchestra for the past six years) in this horrible and disgraceful manner? Additionally, should we as the viewing and paying public continue to support this obvious injustice? Indeed, Ms. Worby is not up on the stage by herself, she needs the support of the players or it will not sound very good despite any of her actions..

It is true what they say, there is an educated poor, even in this country. If music is truly an integrated discipline, something that we as a culture and society value so highly, then why do we allow the individuals creating the music to be treated so badly?

There are many injustices that confront each of us on a daily basis and as individuals we do nothing because it requires some type of action, however, regarding this injustice we as the viewing public do have power. We can do nothing. If we refuse to support the Foothill Friends of Music, i.e., and the Pasadena Pops Organizations’ blatant and disgraceful mistreatment of their very own musicians perhaps they will receive the message. Please boycott the remainder of any of their concerts. Camelle M. Read, La Cañada