Language Immersion Program Being Considered at Glenoaks Elementary

We now have a survey on Survey Monkey for learning whether there is a commitment among a critical mass of area families for starting a language immersion program at our local school.

If your family is considering enrolling a child in kindergarten at Glenoaks in the Fall of 2011 or later, please take a few minutes to take the survey (it's pretty quick).  If you know someone with a pre-kindergarten-aged child in our area, please forward it to them.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LL369C

The district is interested in us first surveying families in the Glenoaks Elementary boundaries.  But these language programs also tend to draw families outside the boundaries seeking permits, so we may eventually survey outside families who would be committed to such a language program.

You may receive this from more than one source, and we only want each family/household to respond once.  We would like the survey results no later than September 20th.

(Note: this is simply a survey at this point.  There is no commitment to necessarily begin language immersion at Glenoaks, and if a program got started it would not be until Fall 2011, at the earliest.  This survey is just a starting point to assess commitment.)

Thanks to Amy Yniguez for helping create the survey on Survey Monkey.  Once we have survey results those interested could meet to split up tasks.

Contacts:  Denise Meyer at meyerdnglendale@yahoo.com and Amy Yniguez at sanamy17@yahoo.com

City Considering Termination of Beeline Shuttle into Canyon

[UPDATE]

The City Transportation Dept. has submitted their recommendations about the Beeline to the City Council. Now is the time to contact the City Council and let them know your thoughts. They will be deliberating and making their final decision shortly. Please email the council and let them know your opinions.

jstarbird@ci.glendale.us

fquintero@ci.glendale.us

dweaver@ci.glendale.us

anajrian@ci.glendale.us

jdrayman@ci.glendale.us

lfriedman@ci.glendale.us

GOCHA is respectfully requesting your urgent communication with the Glendale Transportation Department and the Glendale City Council in order to prevent the loss of the canyon’s  public transportation service.  Without your input this will be a permanent loss to Glenoaks Canyon residents.

This is with regard to the meeting which was held regarding Glendale Beelines. We realize Beeline #13 has low ridership and is a target for cancellation in the near future. However; some type of public transportation should be provided a community that has historically had public transportation. Due to the City's failure to aggressively pursue the retention of Metro Line 201 service, we had for over 70 years, we have had all these problems.

To avoid this loss of transportation, our suggestions are to either continue the current service of Beeline #13, or, preferably, restore Metro Line 201 service one mile up the canyon, or, at a minimum, schedule a short connection to the Metro Line 201 at Chevy Chase and Glenoaks. Otherwise we will be completely stranded without any public transportation in our canyon. By the way, Metro Service is provided at no cost to the City of Glendale. The cost of the Beeline # 13 is about $ 44,000. per year.  In view of the very costly perks, paid by the taxpayers and provided  by the City of Glendale to government officials, this would seem like a very reasonable amount to pay to provide independence to the people. Loss of our public transportation in this canyon, will have a devastating impact on our students, seniors, home care and cleaning service providers. and the community. Many are unable to walk up one mile for a bus and cannot afford taxis all the time.

We have paid representation on the Metro Board, Mayor Najarian, and with the power given by the people to the City Council, we rightfully expect our voices to be heard and our needs to be considered favorably.

Comments on the proposed fare increase and service change may be submitted by email at beeline@ci.glendale.ca.us

by phone at 818-548-3960

Or in writing to:

Glendale Beeline, 633 E. Broadway Room 300 Glendale, CA 91206

Comments will be collected through September 18, 2010 and incorporated into a report to the City Council later this fall.

Angela Vukos, GOCHA Board Member would like to organize a committee to work on preserving our transportation.  Please email her at svukos@sbcglobal.net for more information and/or if you would like to help in this important effort.

Meeting Planned for Freeway Fire Aftermath

According to The818now.com, a meeting will be held Monday night at 8pm at the Joe Bridges Club House to discuss winter weather preparations for those residents effected by the Freeway Fire.

City officials announced plans to hold a meeting for residents who live near the footprint of a brush fire that swept along the hillsides above our canyon.

The meeting will go over winter weather preparations for potential debris flows. City officials will also brief residents on plans to put up concrete barriers, known as K-rails, in the Glenoaks Canyon neighborhood and where to pick up sandbags.

The public meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at the Joe Bridges Club House, 2531 E. Glenoaks Blvd.

For more information on the meeting, call (818) 548-3900. [the818now.com]

Glenoaks Canyon Beeline Issue Gets Some Attention

Thanks go out to Barry Allen and Vanguard (www.vanguardians.org) - a weekly non-profit watchdog paper that comments on City Hall activities - for commenting on the current Beeline route cuts that will affect our canyon. In his paper he states:

Beeline service cuts are coming with little community input. The folks in Glenoaks Canyon have route 13 available but it will probably be cut without the input from the users; without an alternative plan; without their testimony reaching Council, Staff or Transportation and Parking Commissioners. These folks can‘t or don‘t drive especially at night when those meetings are held. There is no bus service to get them to a meeting to express their need. What will the Staff do? Were these people interviewed? Bottom-line is that a lot of money was spent on a study for a trolley on Brand and zip for the Canyons. This week Council voted to accept a new contract for the Nextbus system that has no practical purpose for the expense. There are solutions to the problem but it takes a willingness to look for them.

If you haven't already, please read the post regarding the Beeline service issues and voice your concerns to the city.

Safe and Healthy Community Meeting Wednesday October 21

Attention all Glenoaks Canyon cyclists and pedestrians. The next meeting of the LA County Bike Coalition focusing on Glendale is happening this Wednesday, October 21st from 7pm - 8:30pm at the Brand Library Recital Hall. Come and share your thoughts about what is good or bad about walking and biking in Glendale.

To find out more, visit www.la-bike.org/glendale. This is one in a series of meetings regarding pedestrian and biking issues in Glendale.

Click here for the flier.

Glendale Beeline Needs Your Comments

On October 1st, we reported about the possibility that Glendale Beeline 13, the line that comes into our canyon, may be discontinued. The Glendale Transportation & Parking Commission is collecting comments from the community through October 20th that they will incorporate into a report to the City Council later this fall.

As many of us feel that this is a vital service to many canyon residents, we urge you to make a comment by emailing beeline@ci.glendale.ca.us before October 2oth.

Beeline Bus Service Into Glenoaks Canyon May Be Discontinued

We have just received information advising us that the Glendale Traffic & Transportation Department held a meeting regarding Beeline service in Glendale.  They are recommending that our shuttle into Glenoaks Canyon, Beeline #13, be discontinued. To avoid this loss of transportation, our suggestions are to either continue the current service of  Beeline #13, restore Metro Line 201 service up the canyon or, at a minimum, schedule a short connection to the Metro Line 201 at Chevy Chase and Glenoaks. Without one of these options, our canyon will be without any public transportation, cutting off vital transportation options for residents, housekeepers, nannies, and others that work and live in our canyon and rely on public transportation.  By the way, Metro Service is provided at no cost to the city of Glendale.

We strongly recommend that you please e-mail both beeline@ci.glendale.ca.us and customerrelations@metro.net as soon as possible because they are keeping a record and counting comments received from us regarding Beeline # 13 and Metro Line 201 which will have  a bearing on their final decision.

When they make a decision, their recommendations will be presented to the Glendale City Council.  Therefore we also urge you to contact the City Council to become involved in this matter. Councilman Ara Najarian is on the Metro Board and former Mayor Larry Zarian is on the State Transportation Department. Email addresses of our Mayor and Councilmen are: fquintero@ci.glendale.ca.us, dweaver@ci.glendale.ca.us, anajarian@ci.glendale.ca.us, jdrayman@ci.glendale.ca.us and lfriedman@ci.glendale.us.  The City of Glendale Traffic and Transportation Department is located at 633 E. Broadway, Room 300, Glendale, CA 91206,  (818) 548-3960 in case you wish to contact them directly.

We are 760 homes in this canyon with a population of about 2500.  If we do not take action now, we will possibly lose our public transportation forever.  This will have a devastating impact on our students, seniors and our community.

If you have any questions, kindly call Angela Vukos at (818) 247-2781.  Thank you.