PUBLIC FORUM NO HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE.

Thank you for your Dec. 8 editorial, ``Historic mistake.'' As the owner of the Sportsmen's Lodge property, I was astounded that the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission recommended historical designation on a building that even the Los Angeles Conservancy and their historical consultant admitted had no historical or architectural significance.

The well-being of Los Angeles is poorly served by creating an anti- business atmosphere in which property owners can have their future development potential (which is already rigorously controlled under legitimately adopted zoning regulations) removed on the whim of a few individuals with a personal agenda. It is our hope that the Los Angeles City Council will see the arbitrary nature of the commission's decision for what it is and, more appropriately, review the Sportsmen's Lodge property.

- Len Harlig

Sun Valley

Omitting the guilty

Re ``Maimed infant may go home'' (Dec. 11):

This was such a tragic incident for the child and his parents, I can only imagine how grief-stricken they must be. What I question is why the family plans to sue everyone but the driver of the vehicle that hit them.

- Patricia Hurter

Castaic

Stick to city issues

Responding to Mayor James Hahn's letter regarding the 400-year-old tree in Stevenson Ranch: Mayor, why don't you concentrate your time and energies on those issues that the voters of L.A. elected you for? With skyrocketing crime, unhappy Valley residents, and numerous other concerns, why don't you keep your nose in areas that are located in the city of L.A., and not the County of Los Angeles?

- Aron Taylor

Stevenson Ranch

Move the road

Tell Supervisor Michael Antonovich to move the road, not the tree. In the long run, planting trees and using cooler transportation and less hot technology is a far better strategy than moving trees and providing for more cars. Reason: Planting trees where they used to be, and where conventional science says trees cannot be, will restore the moisture of the atmosphere.

Using cooler technologies will result in less burnoff of incoming moisture. That burnoff has been drying the atmosphere. The drying of the air is a far greater cause of fires than human carelessness and arson. That is the whole truth even if you take greenhouse gases into consideration.

- Michael Aron Weinberg

Reseda

Wrong direction

The Kimit Muston Dec. 8 Viewpoint column on the zoning issues in the northwest Valley pointed out issues we should all be concerned with. In the case of the rezoning of sections of Chatsworth, I believe a serious mistake was made by shutting the community out of the process.

I have personally spoken with numerous community leaders, civic organizations and chambers of commerce, and all are opposed to the proposed changes. I have not met a single group or resident who wants the proposed changes. If the city is serious about listening to the concerns of neighborhoods around Los Angeles, our experience in Chatsworth is a step in the wrong direction.

- Paula Boland

Granada Hills

Special shopping hours 

As a volunteer at the North Hills VA facility and the Motion Picture Home in the West Valley, I have talked to numerous residents and walk-in patients at both facilities with regard to Christmas shopping. It seems to me that the merchants could devise some sort of a plan to allow the people that are handicapped to shop for an hour or so one or two days during the holiday without bucking all the healthy shoppers.

If you have ever shopped at Costco, you know that they provide an hour of shopping each day for their Business Card holders. I'm sure if the merchants were to conduct a survey they would come up with a plan to make life a bit easier for those that are in wheelchairs or use canes or crutches to move around.

- A. Acevedo

Northridge

CSUN sports

I am an alumna of CSUN ('78). A short number of years ago, I participated with others in circulating a petition to save the baseball program along with several other ``minor'' men's sports at CSUN. Without our success in saving these sports, athletes such as Adam Kennedy (one of those instrumental in the Angels reaching the World Series) would not have had the opportunity to attend CSUN, and therefore may not have had the professional success that he has enjoyed today.

Now, without a football team and marching band, I can't help but feel that I never would have attended CSUN if that had been the case years ago.

- Marie Basiago

Simi Valley 

Displaying flag decals

Lee and Rusty Willoughby (Your Opinions, Dec. 12) are wrong: The U.S. flag decals above the passenger doors of MTA buses are not displayed incorrectly. When the flag is painted on the side of a vehicle, it is customary to have the union (the blue area with the stars) positioned toward the front. Therefore, on the vehicle's left side, the decal shows the flag with the union at the left, as usual. On the vehicle's right side, the union is on the right. This is done so that the flag looks as if it is blowing in the wind created by the forward movement of the ship or airplane.

This practice is evident on military and civilian aircraft, ships, cars, even trains. The MTA should be commended for proper flag display, especially in these times when so many people's sincere patriotism is not matched by their knowledge of flag etiquette.

- Joseph Staub

Van Nuys

Wrong enemy

It seems that Victor Ordonez (Your Opinions, Dec. 13) doesn't know his history. Neither North Korea nor Iraq has attacked the U.S. Has Ordonez ever heard of the Korean War? Thousands of Americans were killed by the North Koreans and the Chinese.

In Desert Storm the U.S. and a coalition attacked Iraq for invading Kuwait. They didn't attack us. I don't see how Iraq can hurt the United States. Even if they get a nuclear weapon, how are they going to deliver it? Whereas North Korea could hurt us if we attacked them. Maybe that has something to do with our hostility toward Iraq.

- Paul Freidin

Northridge

Setting a precedence

Re ``Ignore the mantra; guns do kill people'' (Viewpoint, Dec. 15):

The Violence Policy Center fails to mention that these lawsuits will set a precedent for other consumer goods too. Ginsu could be sued for making knives long and sharp, without a locking blade cover, knowing that they can be used in a crime, or accidentally hurt a child. They'll say, people don't kill people, knives do.

You think this is ridiculous? Three words: hot coffee, McDonald's. If a firearm hurt me while I used it in a lawful manner, I'd be the first one to sue the manufacturer. Even they don't have protection against that. I'd much rather spend a lifetime in a room full of loaded and cocked firearms, than 15 minutes with a handful of criminals and a Ginsu.

- Peter Kiss

Santa Clarita 

Left her conscience

The paradox of Lizzie Grubman's conviction for backing into and injuring at least 16 people, then leaving the scene of an accident is that she was leaving the ``Conscience Point Inn.'' (News Lite, Nov. 30).

Perhaps the judge who sentenced her should search his or her conscience for only giving Grubman a sentence of 60 days, of which she only had to serve 37 days.

- Eddie Cress

Sylmar