My Cheers & Jeers

Of late, things have really begun to heat up in the local, state and national scenes. Typically, news is pretty quiet at the end of the year; people are gearing up for the holidays or are taking time off to be with family. Sometimes it takes a little time to ramp up into the New Year. That ramping up is pretty well over, from my perspective, as I figuratively look around to see what’s going on. While few things demand an in-depth review, I thought I would jot down these thoughts to share with you under the headings of cheers and jeers.

For example:

Cheers to Girl Scouts who will be going out in force beginning Jan. 28 to sell their beloved cookies. A wonderful post on the site Nextdoor reminds buyers to be kind to these girls as many are nervous about approaching strangers to sell the cookies.

Jeers to the horrible Turpin parents who allegedly tortured their 13 children. The stories that are coming out regarding this couple are appalling.

Cheers to those who reach out to people in need. Specifically I applaud the people who took part in the homeless count (our own Charly Shelton was one of those and we’ll have his story next week). I also applaud those who take an active role in lending a hand to those who need it. One of these is Ascencia. This Saturday night is the annual Ascencia gala. This fundraiser supports Ascencia programs to lift families and individuals out of homelessness. I’ve been invited to attend the gala and I look forward to supporting this endeavor.

Jeers to the imposters who try and take advantage of others. For example, on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the La Cañada Chamber of Commerce, businesses on Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada were approached by people posing as Southern California Edison workers. They were asking weird questions, causing the business owners to grow suspicious. Similar scam artists are known to place calls to residents pretending to be a family member in need. Remember to not provide any information to suspicious individuals. Notify the sheriff’s department or police department.

Cheers to Caltrans workers who cleaned up the 101 in record time after the Montecito mud flows, reopening it on Monday this week.

Jeers to LA Mayor Eric Garcetti who was angry at the Justice Department after it threatened to subpoena 23 “sanctuary cities” unless they turned over information about their policies toward illegal aliens (yes, I said it). Did you know a “sanctuary city” is defined as one that limits its cooperation with the efforts of the federal government to enforce immigration law? Garcetti then said he will continue following the law when it comes to illegal immigrants. I’m not sure which law that is…

Finally, cheers to the volunteers who dedicate their time and talents to make the Crescenta Valley such a wonderful place in which to live. I will be attending tonight’s Montrose Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce recognition dinner and installation banquet that will salute some of those special individuals and businesses. It is because of their love for their community that we all benefit.

  robin goldsworthy