Stay Cool This July

July has re-acquainted us with the extreme temperatures of our area that we were spared from in June. As Supervisor Kathryn Barger implored our community, we have to “beat the heat” as temperatures soared across LA County: “To keep yourself cool, visit one of our cooling centers at local libraries and community centers, which include activities for the whole family and, best of all, free air conditioning. Also remember to be mindful of children and the elderly who are especially vulnerable to heat. To find a cooling center near you or for more tips to help combat the heat wave, visit lacounty.gov/heat.”

Vice-President Mike Claessens and I were honored to join the Lions Club/Firehouse fundraiser at St. Luke’s of the Mountains Episcopal Church. We want to thank all participants, but the Lions Club and St. Luke’s especially.

Councilmember Jo Ann Stupakis and I attended the Vietnam Memorial: A Sentinel for 50 years at the corner of Ocean View Boulevard and Honolulu Avenue. As the CV Weekly noted in mid-June, the Memorial serves as a reminder of troubled times.

As most of you know, the CV dog park had to be temporarily closed when reports were made of communicable diseases among the dogs. As was relayed to me by Mercy Santoro, deputy director, Dept. of Parks and Recreation, which I shared with our Town Council, “Our team spoke again to the Veterinary Public Health Program Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health concerning the possible cause of sick dogs resulting in the temporary closure of the dog park … The staff stated there is no definitive diagnosis; however, two dog owners informed the agency that their pet had kennel cough. The cause of illness was likely dog-to-dog contact. We were informed that the department would get in contact with us if there are further updates.”

We regret the loss of any dogs from what was likely dog-to-dog contact. Socialization is essential but diseases will spread. Just as when your child is ill and should stay out of school until healthy again, if your dog is sick, please don’t bring your dog to the CV Dog Park until fully recovered.

Once again, the Summer Beach Bus is available thanks to our supervisor. The beach bus will take beach-goers from La Crescenta to Santa Monica. You can check the schedule at LAGoBus.com. In addition, to “keep cool locally, there are plenty of options for pools and splash pads in every community. Visit parks.lacounty.gov to find one near you.”

Finally, as the supervisor also noted, “When kids are home for the summer, we want to make sure they are still getting fed regardless of financial barriers. There are 25 libraries across the county offering free lunch for youth 18 years old and younger, Monday through Friday from noon to 1 p.m. until Aug. 3. You can find a participating library near you at lacountylibrary.org/summerlunch.”

At the beginning of August, we will break ground for our medians on Foothill Boulevard. This will be the transformation of our community for the better; it won’t be painless during construction, but the outcome will beautify our thoroughfare, Foothill Boulevard, for the better.

In the meantime, we look forward to your joining us on Thursday, July 19 at 7 p.m. for our regularly scheduled general meeting on the third Thursday of the month in the community room of the La Crescenta Library at 2809 Foothill Blvd.

Finally, I was present at the Fourth of July fireworks celebration at CV High School as a volunteer with the CV Sheriff’s Station. Corresponding Secretary Sophal Ear was also there with his family, including his four kids, Steven (9), Caitlyn (7), Nathan (5) and Jasmin (3). The night was not without incident though as Nathan managed to get lost but was recovered thanks to a Good Samaritan (who knew where Sophal lives) and a sheriff’s deputy who gave Nathan a shoulder ride home.

Harry Leon is president of the Crescenta Valley Town Council.