THE FOOTHILLS PAPER • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2015 — 3
VOLUME 11 • NUMBER 4 • www.thefoothillspaper.com
Our readers often send us notes of much appreciated encouragement. Last week an e-mail mail arrived on my desk that had a particular resonance with me. It read: “Reading The Paper reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by Augustine: ‘Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.’ Thanks for everything you do.” And he is right, while we try to temper our anger at the events that are unfolding around us, it was never easy. We know that for there to be a real and lasting change, we have to keep pushing
forward. We have to have the courage to keep forging ahead. Since our inception 10 years ago, The Foothills Paper has delivered the news that matters, every other week, without interruption. We have brought you the news the larger media ignores and we’ve shed light on the views from some of the best writers and thinkers in our area. But we have never done it alone. It has only been possible because of you—our readers—and your hope for a better future. The Foothills Paper has made many friends and of course enemies. The scofflaws and their friends hate the exposure of their mis-deeds, and there have been many. We have taken the position of helping those whom the community is divided against. We have
done the best we can to illuminate those that do good in our community. Unfortunately it is easy for the haters to post things on the Internet that are at best “mis-truths” and at worse, flatout lies. And I have watched them pass into oblivion. We have community leaders that were trying to do the best for Sunland-Tujunga and we have certain people that were out to fleece every penny they could from the community. Because of them we have lost the Watermelon Festival, The Easter Carnival, The Commerce Fair and the integrity of our service clubs. But it appears that those days are changing and our community leaders are doing what they can to really help the community get back to becoming a neighborhood
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ROCK where people know and respect each other. We are now coming to the point where we are fighting developers and the High Speed Rail project that could physically divide our community and destroy our rural way of life. This is truly going to be an interesting year and yes, it is the Water!
The Foothills Letters & Perspectives High Speed Rail to Hell and Back! THE FOOTHILLS PAPER
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Dear Editor, I really don’t get it about the High Speed Rail (HSR). Is this going to be another 410 freeway debacle that tears up the area around us then sits idle while waiting for a Supreme Court decision on what to do? I really don’t believe either side as to the effects it will have on Sunland, Tujunga, Lake View Terrace and Shadow Hills. At this point they haven’t even decided on the actual pathway. Will it be economics or politics that drives the eventual pathway? Two thousand people met to hear people talk about what would happen IF the HSR went through their community. But no one really knows because they don’t know where it is going to be built. I was told that where the train actually goes will be fenced in to prevent accidents. But if this completely fenced in or wall elevated site that they are proposing actually goes through, won’t that create a barrier separating the communities? How are they going to avoid an accident when traveling at 205 mph when Metro can’t keep people from driving or jumping in the way of their local trains? How come the HSR people aren’t offering us a station or stop so that we will actually get some benefit from it?
The proposed HSR as shown on their maps will go through farms, property, communities, school districts, etc., dividing people and land with limited crossings. Even though they aren’t saying it, I just have a gut feeling that when push comes to shove they’ll be using eminent domain laws that could render numerous ranches inoperable thus lowering
their property value, including lost ranch revenue that will ripple through the San Fernando Valley economy. We were told the rail crossing heights over roads will conform to the DOT standards of 18 feet. Yet they could not guarantee that all roads will receive an overpass. Then there are the emergency services, police, fire, and ambulance
timely access that may be jeopardized. At the All Nations Church meeting, there were well over 2000 people. During public comments every single speaker opposed the HSR system for various reasons, including the negative economic impact on the county, property rights of home owners and ranchsee Letters, page 5
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