Letter: Peterson’s residency is an issue

Cindy Wilcox brought up an interesting subject in her article in the Mailbag section of the Valley Sun. Is incumbent school board member Joel Peterson really a resident of La Cañada Flintridge?

When asked to explain his education business in an interview with reporter Tiffany Kelly in the same Valley Sun issue, Peterson refused to answer the question. This caused me to wonder. I thought that one had to be a resident of our fair city to run for a local office like the LCUSD Governing Board. Word has it that Peterson moved out of La Cañada three years ago. Wilcox stated that Peterson is registered at a friend’s home on Jessen Drive. One does not have to be Sherlock Homes to figure this out. I started by going to the official website of the L.A. County Register-Recorder Office, and on lavote.net, found under “Final List of Qualified Candidates” that Peterson’s candidacy is filed at 466 Foothill Boulevard 333, phone (866) 217-1140. This would suggest that Peterson lives in La Cañada.

A trip down Foothill Boulevard shows that 466 Foothill is the address of the UPS Store and 333 is a postal box. Calling the telephone number connects one directly to Peterson’s business. What address, exactly, is Peterson registered at? Why did he use a P.O. Box when filing for his candidacy? The mystery continues. Peterson’s wife is registered to vote at her home in Glendale. Are we to believe that Peterson does not live with his wife, but in the postal box on Foothill Boulevard?

This is not only about qualifications, but about Peterson’s integrity, or lack thereof. The Valley Sun would do our community a great public service by investigating this matter.

William Watts
La Cañada Flintridge

Editor’s Note: The writer is treasurer of the Patriot PAC. He is not the local real estate professional by the same name.