Mountain Views News          Saturday, September 20, 2014

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2014

SECTION B

AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY


FOOTHILL TRANSIT, AN ENVIRONMENTAL 

From The San Gabriel Valley 

Economic Partnership

By Cynthia Kurtz

 Keeping the San Gabriel Valley healthy and 
protecting the environment are important to 
residents and businesses alike. The region has 
seen much improvement in recent years. The 
air is cleaner and the mountains are no longer 
hidden in gray “haze”. 

 One company in particular stands out as a 
leader in environmental stewardship - Foothill 
Transit.

 Since 1988 Foothill Transit has been 
transporting people around the San Gabriel 
Valley. It all began when the Los Angeles County 
transit system announced that it would cut service 
and raise fares. Knowing these changes would 
hurt the San Gabriel Valley, a group of cities 
formed a joint powers authority and assumed 14 
lines of service that had previously been provided 
by the county-wide transportation authority.

 Twenty-six years later, Foothill operates 331 
buses on 33 fixed-routes, covers 327 square miles, 
and serves 14 million customers per year. 

 In addition to providing on-time, quality 
transit service, Foothill Transit is committed 
to environmental protection and sustainability. 
In 2002, the agency began its conversion to a 
compressed natural gas or CNG fleet. Since then, 
Foothill has put 316 CNG buses into service and 
retired its diesel fleet in December 2013.

 In 2011 the agency became the first transit 
agency in the United States to embrace zero-
emission bus technology by purchasing the first 
of its kind all-electric Ecoliner. The Ecoliner is the 
first electric bus to utilize in-route fast charging 
capability. Everything on the bus including the 
air conditioning is powered by electricity.

 The Ecoliner incorporates elements borrowed 
from Formula-1 race cars and naval and tank 
technologies designed to reduce vehicle weight 
without compromising safety. 

 Using the rapid charger located on its roof, the 
Ecoliner can dock at charger stations along its 
route and recharge from 20% to 90% in less than 
10 minutes. 

 The rapid charge technology allows the Ecoliner 
to remain in service throughout the day.

 And Foothill Transit was the first California 
transit agency to order the next generation of 
electric buses called the Proterra Solution.

 It’s not just their green fleet and the automobiles 
that are being supplanted from our roads that 
make Foothill Transit “green”.

 In 2012 Foothill even began producing its 
own green power with solar panels on the roofs 
of the Arcadia and Pomona Operation and 
Maintenance Yards. The combined facilities 
generate over 420,000 kilowatt hours of energy, 
thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 
218 tons per year.

 Day after day Foothill Transit continues to 
make the San Gabriel Valley a better place to live 
and grow a business.

San Gabriel Valley Economic 
Partnership Announces Mid-Year 

Change of Board Chairman

From The San Gabriel Valley 

Economic Partnership

The San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership 
announced Monday a mid-year change of 
Executive Board Chairman for the 2014-
2015 year. Richard Roche, AT&T Director of 
External Affairs stepped down as Chairman as 
of September 15, a role that is assumed by David 
Reyno, Foothill Transit Director of Government 
Affairs, and former Vice-Chair of the SGVEP 
Executive Board.

 Richard Roche, who was elected as Chairman 
on July 1, 2014, announced at the San Gabriel 
Valley Awards Gala on September 6 that he 
accepted an AT&T position in Portland, Oregon, 
“Believe it or not, I’ve been Chairman for almost 
two, three weeks now,” Roche quipped from the 
podium, “I’ve set a record for longevity here!”

 The Chairman role is assumed by David Reyno, 
who has served on the Partnership for past 
three years, and served one year as Membership 
Committee Co-Chair.

 David is an active member of the community and 
serves or has served on a number of organization 
boards including the San Gabriel Valley Economic 
Partnership, San Gabriel Valley Public Affairs 
Network, Mt. San Antonio College Foundation, 
West Covina Chamber of Commerce, Young 
Professionals Against Cancer and Insuring the 
Children. He also represents Foothill Transit on 
a number of transportation related organization 
legislative committees including the American 
Public Transportation Association (APTA) and 
the California Transit Association (CTA).

 With the change of Chairman, the updated San 
Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership 2014-2015 
Executive Board is as follows: Treasurer Rene 
Martinez, Vice President Senior Relationship 
Manager of City National Bank; Secretary 
Carlos Illingworth, Director of Public Affairs & 
Government Relations for Vons Company, Inc.; 
City Manager Representative Paul Talbot, City 
Manager of Monterey Park; and Immediate Past 
Chair Bart Doyle, Attorney at Law.

About the San Gabriel Valley Economic 
Partnership

 The San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership 
is a regional, not-for-profit corporation supported 
and directed by its members and committed to 
the continued successful economic development 
of the San Gabriel Valley. A collaboration of 
businesses, local government, higher education 
institutions, and non-profits, the Partnership 
pursues this commitment by fostering the 
success of business, engaging in public policy, 
marketing the San Gabriel Valley and connecting 
people, companies, and organizations in the San 
Gabriel Valley. For more information, contact 
the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership 
at (626) 856-3400 or visit its web site at www.
valleyconnect.com.


THE LIQUID AMBER TREE STRIKES AGAIN:

Do You Love It or Hate It?

SOROPTIMIST RUBY AWARD: 

FOR WOMEN HELPING WOMEN

Soroptimist club seeks women who have made extraordinary 

differences on behalf of women and girls

By Joan Schmidt

 Tuesday morning I drove down my street towards 
California Ave. and really was shocked at what I saw. 
Over the last few years, huge branches have fallen 
off different neighbors’ liquid amber trees and have 
done excessive damage to various vehicles. Each time, 
everyone has commented how fortunate there was no 
one walking down the street or in front of the house.

 This time, the huge set of branches landed on 
someone’s home, dented in the roof, and destroyed 
the façade over the front of the house. Thank God 
it occurred at 1 a.m. If it were during the day and 
children were walking to and from school, or residents 
walking to the bus stop, the results could have been 
tragic.

 The trees make a beautiful shade. When I moved 
here 27 years ago, I loved the tree-lined street. But their 
fruit (dubbed “sticker-balls” by a neighbor) have cause 
many falls. My contractor friend said his mom tripped 
over one, fell, and broke her arm. When I walked my 
daily 2 ½ mile track years ago, I ruined a few pairs of 
pants-getting holes in the knees-after tripping over 
them!

 Ten years ago, our front lawn area that belongs to the 
County, had a constant small pool of water because of 
a leaking water meter. After several calls to the Water 
Company, they came out and said the tree roots had 
done this. I was glad to see my tree removed, but over 
the years, I have seen my neighbors’ problems from the 
trees.

 About six months ago, my husband said, “Oh, we 
have a hole in the front lawn-county area (between 
the street and sidewalk) about one foot deep. He got 
a shovel and tried to reach the bottom of the hole, but 
the shovel went way down! We called L.A. County 
Public Works. Their crew came and was going to fill up 
our “hole”. It ended up being close to 4 feet deep and 
7ft by 15ft! The Tree Crew came and said they never 
saw a hole that big. What had happened was, when the 
tree was removed ten years ago, a few roots were left 
and they kept decomposing! 

 Tuesday morning I spoke to Larry Vega, the Area 
Supervisor for LA County Public Works. Public 
Works already had several vehicles at the site and 
were waiting for the Tree Crew. Mr. Vega told me, 
“When even the smallest branch falls, the Tree Crew 
comes and assesses the situation to see if there could 
be a further problem. If necessary, the Tree Crew 
will recommend that Public Works remove branches 
or the entire tree. We are ready to do removal a tree 
immediately if necessary.” 

Mr. Vega looked at the downed branches and 
they appeared healthy. He spoke of the tree’s Self-
Preservation. In this drought the tree needs more 
water and will get it from the ground; then becomes 
top-heavy. That often causes the branches to snap or 
break off.

 Mr. Vega explained that the Tree Crew has 
“Choppers” which are good for small jobs. But Public 
Works has loaders to haul away all of the heavy 
branches.” Ten years ago after our tree was removed, 
I was given a choice to have a new one replanted. After 
seeing so much damage to cars and even a house, I’m 
glad I chose against it.

 Soroptimist International of Pasadena/
Altadena is searching for applicants for its 
Soroptimist Ruby Award: For Women Helping 
Women, which honors women who—through 
their personal or professional activities---make 
extraordinary efforts on behalf of women and 
girls. Women can nominate themselves or 
another woman in their community.

Nominees should be women who have made 
extraordinary differences on behalf of women 
and girls, such as 2014 awardee Dr. Mikala Rahn 
of LearningWorks, Inc. Each awardee is also 
given a cash grant foe their charity, and will move 
to District and International competition.

 Applications are now available at local libraries, 
The Altadena Community Center, Women at 
Work, the Chamber of Commerce and online at 
www.soroptimist.org

 Applications must be returned to Soroptimist 
International of Pasadena/Altadena by Nov. 15. 
2014, PO Box 66, Altadena, CA 91003.

 Soroptimist International of Pasadena/
Altadena is part of Soroptimist International of 
the Americas. Headquartered in Philadelphia, 
A, Soroptimist improves the lives of women 
and girls through programs leading to social 
and economic empowerment. Locally, the 
organization’s support includes The Door of 
Hope, The Women’s Room, YWCA and Women 
At Work.

Inside This Section:

The World Around Us 

Business News & Trends 

Opinion 

Legal Notices


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