Letter to the Editor:
We want to thank myBurbank for being there–local news in all its media forms is very important. MyBurbank recently illustrated that simple fact. On April 26 when the City and developer on a project that people have argued should be modified to eliminate safety issues (among other issues) that would impact not only the current Burbank/Toluca Lake neighborhood and businesses, but also future residents and important corridors in alleys, and streets for other Burbankians and Angelenos. MyBurbank appeared to be the only local news outlet that covered an event that certainly my neighborhood and Burbank citizens would find important. MyBurbank did something that the City of Burbank does not do, apparently for logistical reasons– record meetings held at Buena Vista Library for citizens to attend City sponsored workshops on matters of interest to the community. (We are grateful that the City does stage these workshops at Buena Vista Library, closer to the impacted citizens than downtown.) Most likely the City will not record the workshop on June 5th relating to the Media District to which citizens have been invited. We hope local media will.
Let me illustrate how important the light of journalism and recordation is. While attendance at the April 26th meeting was very large, certain impacted citizens simply could not attend. Commuters who make up much of our southern Burbank neighborhood may simply not get home at 6 p.m. Our neighborhood joyfully has experienced a baby boom with many beautiful children being added to our population, but parental duties keep many from meetings. In addition, on the night in question, Burbank schools that include our neighborhood children (1) at the primary level had open houses, and (2) at the middle school level had certain science-related programs that dutiful parents wanted to attend. Finally, our neighborhood has some elderly who simply cannot attend such events.
Because of myBurbank, citizens who could not attend were able to get the gist of the meeting on YouTube. . An informed citizenry is important. We need housing and many believe, as I do, that housing can be accomplished with delivering both peace and safety to current residences–and future residences. This cannot happen without an engaged–and informed citizenry. Thank you, myBurbank.
I urge all citizens of Burbank to support local media for the sake of all of Burbank.
Mary O’Hare
Burbank
Mary O’Hare
Burbank
