Name highway bridge after Aiso
Re: your July 27 story, “Moorpark bridge project aims to prevent suicides”:
The magnificent twin curved spans at the intersections of Highways 110 and 23 is an engineering and architectural masterpiece deserving of a name other than “suicide bridge.”
From Moorpark to Thousand Oaks, Highway 23 is named for the “Military Intelligence Service,” the unit in which Japanese American soldiers in the World War II Pacific theater served as language interpreters in even as their families remained confined in “relocation camps” behind barbed wire fences and armed guards.
The bridge should be formally named the “John Aiso Memorial Bridge.” Aiso was Director of the MIS language school at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, where the MIS soldiers were trained. Aiso was a lawyer
and became the first Japanese American Superior Court Judge and Justice of the Court of Appeals of California.
I urge the Simi Valley, Moorpark, and Thousand Oaks City councils, and the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to adopt a resolution supporting the John Aiso bridge name, and to submit their resolutions to the California Department of Transportation.
Gerald Masahiro Sato, Westlake Village
Simi development is concerning
The proposed development of 58 homes at 6024 Cochran Street, on the east end of the street, should concern every Simi Valley resident. This is not simply about building more houses. It is about the health, safety, traffic, schools, and quality of life of the people who already live here.
Simi Valley has always had a unique, quaint character and quality of life that residents cherish. Many of us chose to live here because of that. Yet the continued push to build homes and apartments wherever there is open space is slowly changing the community we know and love. At what point do development and profit become more important than the residents and families who call Simi Valley home?
The proposed location raises serious traffic and safety concerns. Cochran Street is a two-lane road. Additional residents will increase congestion, create neighborhood overflow traffic, and make it more difficult for vehicles to safely enter and exit the development. More families also mean more children, placing additional strain on crowded schools.
The site’s proximity to the former Rocketdyne property also raises legitimate questions. While this development is not on the Rocketdyne site itself, it is nearby. If the soil is not thoroughly tested before bulldozing begins, how can residents be assured that residual contamination or hazardous materials will not become airborne? Testing should occur before the ground is disturbed, not afterward.
Concerns about airborne dust, possible carcinogens, and Valley fever should not be dismissed. Many nearby residents were never notified of this project. Were all those potentially affected given a meaningful opportunity to learn about it and voice their concerns?
Our elected officials have a responsibility to protect the people they represent, not simply approve development because land is available. Growth should be responsible and balanced, so Simi Valley preserves the character, safety and quality of life that made this community worth calling home.
Isabel Marquez, Simi Valley
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Fitting name for bridge, worried about Simi development | Letters
