Mountain Views News          Saturday, September 13, 2014

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2014

SECTION B

AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY


From the San Gabrel Valley Economic Partnership


GROUNDBREAKING AT MONROVIA SQUARE 
STATION: HISTORY IN THE MAKING 

AND A REUNION OF SORTS

By Joan Schmidt

 This past Wednesday, September 10, 2014 
saw the official ground-breaking of Monrovia 
Station Square and what a great event it was. 
The turnout was awesome- many stakeholders 
and interested residents in addition to so 
many dignitaries, Police Chief Jim Hunt, 
Chaplain Terry Brown and members of the 
Monrovia Police Department, Fire Chief Chris 
Donovan and members of the Monrovia Fire 
Department and THREE of their vehicles-one 
truck had a ladder draping an American flag, 
City officials- current and past- the list just 
goes on.

 There was a huge canopy and underneath 
were seating and tables of refreshments. 
I arrived fifteen minutes early and got a 
chance to mingle with many old friends: Joan 
Whitenack, retired from Foothill Unity with 
hubby Ray Wheeler; Penny Arroyo, Executive 
Director of the Volunteer Center of San Gabriel 
Valley-but also the mom of one of my former 
students; Brenda Trainer and a canine friend 
from Wonder Ranch; and Connie Aguilar 
from Options. Of course representatives came 
from Monrovia�s neighbors- Arcadia�s Mayor 
Pro Tem Gary Kovacic and Duarte�s Mayor 
Pro Tem Tzeitel Paras-Caracci with cute Jack 
Russell.

 All of the current Monrovia City Council 
attended- Mayor Mary Ann Lutz, Mayor Pro 
Tem Becky Shevlin, Council Members Tom 
Adams, Larry Spicer and Alex Blackburn; City 
Clerk Alice Atkins, City Treasurer Steve Baker, 
Director of Community Development Steve 
Sizemore, Interim City Manager and MC for 
festivities Francis Delach, Carl Hassel, Director 
of Public Works, School Board Members Rob 
Hammond and Terrence Williams and Alexis 
Bakofsky, the City�s Press Coordinator.

 Assemblyman Chris Holden himself 
attended and presented Mary Lutz with a 
Certificate of Recognition for the City. Also 
present and making presentations were Joyce 
Roys-Aguilera from Senator Carol Liu�s office, 
Hector Elizalde for Congresswoman Grace 
Napolitano, Enrique Robles and Becky Cheng 
for Congresswoman Judy Chu, Brian Mejia for 
Supervisor Antonovich, and Nicole Leiva for 
Assemblyman Roger Hernandez.

 Why is this History in the Making? Station 
Square is the largest Public Works project in 
Monrovia�s history. It is a community-driven 
project that fulfills a long and involved planning 
process to deliver a unique vision. Monrovia 
is utilizing $25 million from the State Urban 
Greening grant, Measure R funds, Proposition 
C monies, Federal 5309 funds and $16.5 million 
from the Gold Line Construction Authority from 
the sale of land for the Gold Line Operations 
Campus (Maintenance and Operations Yard) 
for the project and surrounding street and 
infrastructure improvements to benefit the 
community and complement the opening of the 
Gold Line Station.

 Mayor Mary Ann Lutz thanked all of the 
many people who played a role in this project 
and their vision, including former Mayors Bob 
Bartlett and Rob Hammond, Council Members 
Joe Garcia, Dan Kirby and Lara Blakely. 
She also recognized the different groups, 
organizations and politicians involved. There 
was mention of South Pasadena and how the 
community benefited from its station: so many 
businesses came in, and it has become a very 
desirable place to visit. It is everyone�s hope 
that this station square will bring in even more 
visitors to their great City of Monrovia.

RADIO, TV FOOD & WINE EXPERTS 

AS TASTE OF ARCADIA JUDGES SEPT. 22

Radio, TV Food & Wine experts as Taste of Arcadia Judges Sept. 22

 A quartet of radio and TV food and wine experts 
will be the judges of the 2014 Taste of Arcadia Culinary 
Contest: radio and TV personality Peter �King of Cuisine� 
Dills of AM 830 KLAA; and Food Network personalities 
Jyll Everman (�Next Food Network Star�) and Cassandra 
Pugh (�Guy�s Grocery Games�), and David Flood, local 
private chef and consultant.

 The annual Arcadia Chamber of Commerce event will 
be held 5:30 p.m. � 9 p.m. Monday, September 22, at the 
L.A. County Arboretum. Food judging in four categories 
will be based on three criteria: Appearance, Flavor, and 
Originality. The categories, plus a best overall award: 
Best Dessert; Best Savory Dish; Best Presentation; Most 
Innovative Dish; Best of Show.

 The judges will sample food, desserts and drinks from 
45 vendors throughout the entire evening. Winners will 
need to be present and still serving to guests when judges 
announce their selections near the end of the event at 9 
p.m.

 Peter Dills, son of noted restaurant critic Elmer 
Dills, is returning for a second year as celebrity 
ambassador of Taste of Arcadia and will talk food 
and wine with attendees and has been promoting 
Taste of Arcadia and interviewing participating 
restaurants on his weekly Sunday radio show.
Everman and Pugh are also making return appearances 
at Taste of Arcadia. Jyll was a finalist on Season 7 of 
�Food Network Star� and runs Jyllicious Bites in 
Glendora. Cassie was the youngest contestant on 
Food Network�s �Guys Grocery Games� and advanced 
further than any previous woman during her season.

 Taste of Arcadia features 45 food & beverage vendors 
offering tastes for no additional fee, a live band and dancers, 
and 45 Business Showcase booths, all for one admission price.
Individual tickets are $50 for Arcadia Chamber members 
and $70 for non-members ($20 non-member discount 
codes available in various local publications. Tickets, 
which are $75 at the gate on Sept. 22, may be purchased 
at www.ArcadiaCaChamber.org, by calling 626-447-2159, 
or in person at the Chamber office at 388 W. Huntington 
Drive, Arcadia, 91007.

 More than 1,300 attendees are expected to the event. 
As always, $5 is donated from every ticket sold by pre-
approved local non-profit organizations.

FOOTHILL UNITY CENTER�S BETTY MCWILLIAMS 
HONORED AMONG WOMEN ACHIEVERS OF 2014 

BY BUSINESS LIFE MAGAZINE

 
Betty McWilliams, Executive 
Director of Foothill Unity Center, 
has been named one of 27 Women 
Achievers of 2014 by Business 
Life Magazine. The awards will 
be presented at a luncheon and 
expo on Monday, September 29, 
at the Glendale Hilton. This marks 
the 25th year for the awards. 
Criteria for nomination include 
contributions to the community, 
adversities overcome, volunteer 
work, recognitions and factors that 
make the nominee deserving of 
this honor.

 For sixteen years, Ms. 
McWilliams has been instrumental in the fight 
against hunger, homelessness and poverty in the 
San Gabriel Valley as Executive Director and 
previously Deputy Director of Foothill Unity 
Center, the primary provider of 
food, case management/crisis help, 
and access to health care resources 
across eleven cities in the San 
Gabriel Valley. During that timee, 
she has played a leadership role in 
the growth of the organization�s 
client base, services and supporters.

 Ms. McWilliams, who holds a 
Bachelor of Sciences degree in 
Gerontology from the University 
of Southern California, began 
her career in human services as a 
VISTA volunteer working with low 
income residents of a settlement 
house. She came to Foothill Unity 
Center from Standard Industries, Inc., where 
she was Director of Administration, and had 
previously served as Executive Director of the 
Pasadena Senior Center.

Inside This Section:

The World Around Us 

Business News & Trends 

Opinion 

Legal Notices


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