First off, I would like to thank Supervisor Kathryn Barger for appointing me a commissioner on the LA County advisory board focused on consumer affairs to which I sworn-in on Feb. 22. As you may know, I am passionate about protecting residents of Crescenta Valley from fraudsters who often target the elderly and those with language barriers. Our population is made up of 35% senior citizens, 18% Armenians, and even more Koreans. Education about how to spot and avoid fraud is key as is ensuring the consumer affairs bureau has the resources required to investigate fraud complaints, including cases of identity theft that we know are now rife. For me, service is a privilege and duty I owe my country and my community. I want to thank you, my fellow citizens of Crescenta Valley, for your vote of confidence in me.

Speaking of Supervisor Barger, she spent last week in Washington, D.C. at the National Association of Counties Legislative with other local leaders from across the nation. As a member of the NACo board of directors, she was privileged to speak about our efforts to reimagine health care in our county jails. She learned a lot from other public servants and was fortunate to share the ways Los Angeles County is leading the way on many issues, including homeless and mental health care services.

The 8th Annual Prayer Breakfast was very successful with 140 attendees. I want to thank the CV United Methodist Church for hosting the breakfast and, in particular, I want to thank our keynote speaker, Linda Evans, former principal of Crescenta Valley High School. She mentored many of our community’s teenagers during her time at CVHS and she was the perfect person, then and now, to share with us lessons on how to build resilience. Her keynote brought everyone in the audience to a place near and dear to them when she spoke of illness, old age, death and all of life’s challenges that we – as human beings – cannot avoid.

Councilmember Desiree Rabinov and I met with Supervisor Barger’s deputy, Sussy Nemer, who is our field representative, and the Dept. of Public Works assistant deputy, to discuss safe routes to schools and stop signs at the intersections of Los Amigos and La Crescenta avenues, Orange and Rosemont avenues, Orange and Glenwood avenues and Prospect, Community and Glenwood avenues and others around the Crescenta Valley High School to come up with better traffic patterns and flashing signs to serve the pedestrians of our community.

I helped at the Prom Plus open house barbecue at Crescenta Valley High School. On April 2, Councilmember Carin Hoffman and I will host a presentation for our senior citizens about consumer protection and how to avoid scams. On Sunday, April 28, six days after Earth Day, the Town Council, represented by the CVTC Outreach Committee composed of Councilmember JoAnn Stupakis, Jeffrey Rodriguez and I, will come together at the Rosemont Preserve for an annual open house of the Preserve. Join us then!

Applications for the CVTC scholarship will be on our website shortly, as soon as the form is finalized. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, join us on Thursday, March 21 for our general meeting at 7 p.m. at the La Crescenta Library community room, 2809 Foothill Blvd. in La Crescenta.

Harry Leon is president of the Crescenta Valley Town Council.

  Harry LEON