In Honor of Ron and Iris Smith

Ron and Iris Smith: their hearts and hands brought joy to our community through the simple magic of a pumpkin patch and the warmth of Christmas trees. Their dedication to creating cherished memories for families, fostering a spirit of togetherness and spreading seasonal cheer has left an incredible mark on us all.

Ron Smith was born in Los Angeles. He started his journey in 1971 when he helped his godfather Ernest Zaferis with selling Christmas trees. He fell in love with it and continued the tradition; soon after his son Kirk Smith at the age of 12 joined him and became his right hand. He started the pumpkin patch business in 1990. Ron and Iris were married in 2018 and she soon became an important role and partner in the business.

This year, in 2024, Ron and Iris made the decision to retire and sell the business. The Saavedra and Ramirez families are gladly taking the torch from his hands and caring for the tradition of holiday spirit. We promise to continue the legacy of Ron, Kirk and Iris with his traditions and [offering] top quality pumpkins and Christmas trees. Our opening day will be Oct. 4. We want to invite the community to join us in a special dedication to Ron and Iris at 6 p.m. and join us for some fun activities and food. We will have music, jumpers, video gaming bus, face painting, petting zoo and pony rides as well as ice cream, coffee and oven pizza vendors. We are located at 600 Foothill Blvd. in La Cañada.

Ron, Kirk and Iris: Thank you for your unwavering commitment, your generous spirit and for making every autumn and winter a little brighter.

Lovingly,

The Saavedra and Ramirez Families

The Landlord – Tenant’s Financial Insurance for Unfortunate Events

The City of Glendale is considering two initiatives to assist tenants facing eviction: city-paid legal services and the collection of eviction data. Of these, the latter deserves support from landlords and the public provided the study is thorough and comprehensive.

Understanding the causes of eviction can yield significant benefits. As I delve into the reasons behind income loss leading to non-payment of rent, I am alarmed by the extent of fraud and corruption that push people into severe financial hardship for example.

Here is a short list of additional potential causes for loss of income and non-payment of rent.

Involuntary Causes:

• Layoffs
• Scams that deplete savings
• Mental health issues such as depression or bipolar disorder
• Domestic violence, divorce, separation

Volitional Causes:

• Mismanagement of money:
  • Buying luxury cars beyond their means
  • Elective cosmetic surgery
  • High credit card debt and high interest rates

Misbehavior:

• Drunk driving accidents
• Selling or using illegal substances
• Committing fraud at work

Which of these scenarios should qualify for city-paid legal services? Before assigning legal assistance, the city should determine who truly deserves it.

Should someone fired for committing larceny at work receive city aid to prevent eviction for non-payment of rent? Should s/he receive assistance from the city to pay for unpaid electric bill/s as well?

If the city were responsible for paying the rent of non-paying tenants, would voters approve such an ordinance? If not, why should the burden fall on landlords? Are landlords expected to be the economic safety net for societal issues?

By focusing on the primary causes of non-payment of rent we can highlight the absurdity of ordinances that delay residents’ financial obligations and unfairly position landlords as the financial backers or insurers of last resort for tenants’ misdeeds or unfortunate events.

Should local taxpayers insure them instead? 

Herbert Molano
Glendale