BeaconMediaNews.com
8 AUGUST 18, 2011 - AUGUST 24, 2011
Foothill Unity Center Announces 2011 Neighbors Helping Neighbors Honorees
Henry and Lou Thedinga
Dedicated volunteers Henry and Lou Thedinga, longtime corporate champion Southern California Edison, and business sup-
porter The Monrovian Family Restaurant will receive Neighbors Helping Neighbors Awards at Foothill Unity Center’s 13th Annual Gold-
en Plate Awards dinner on Thursday evening, September 22 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia. The Center presents these honors each year to local businesses, organizations and individuals who have offered extraordinary support. Longtime Monrovia mayor Bob Bartlett and community hunger fighter Robin Salzer, owner of Robin’s WoodFire BBQ in Pasadena, will also be honored at the event with the Center’s Heart in Hand Humanitarian award, presented annually to local people who have made an outstanding impact on the quality of life in their communities and beyond. Reservations to the event, the Center’s only major fundraiser of the year, are $75 per person. They may be ordered online at www. foothillunitycenter.org, or by mailing a check to Golden Plate Awards, Foothill Unity
Center, 415 West Chestnut Avenue, Monrovia CA 91016. Sponsorship packages begin at $1,000. Each comes with a number of special recognitions including ads in the Tribute Journal. The Center is also seeking items for the evening’s silent and live auctions. Those valued at $50 or more received by August 26 will be acknowledged in the Tribute Journal. For more information, visit www.foothillunitycenter.org or contact Gerald at the Center, (626) 358-3486. 2011 Neighbors Helping Neighbors Awards Volunteer Award: Henry & Lou Thedinga Henry, a very young 93-year-old and a Pearl Harbor survivor, and his wife, Lou, who turns 90 this year, have been Center volunteers for twelve years. Over that time, they’ve worked
in just about all areas. Currently, Henry registers arriving clients and Lou works the Choice Pantry, where clients can select special items. The couple also pitches in at all special events, including Thanksgiving and Holiday Distributions. They’re regular donors as well. The Center is proud to be one of several organizations that benefit from their time and energy. Corporate Award: Southern California Edison With the help of Region Manager Elisa Clifford, who sits on the Center’s board, SCE has been a key supporter for many years in many ways. Every year, the company has sponsored the Golden Plate Awards and participated in the Back to School Fair, awarding it major grants for the past two years. SCE has also sponsored the organization’s annual Volunteer Appreciation Lunch and
raised money at their annual employee event for Center programs. It’s not unusual for SCE to bring nearly 70 volunteers to help out at the food warehouse. Business Award: The Monrovian Family Restaurant Owner Sia Soris and her team are among the Center’s most devoted and steadfast fans. The Monrovian has donated the food and provided the location for the organization’s Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon for the past three years, and supplied food for 400+ volunteers working our Back to School Fair for the last five years. They are always ready and willing to help with whatever is needed, from soup to turkeys. The Monrovian also prominently displays the Center’s Auxiliary donation bank at their register, generating regular support funds.
Arcadia Downtown Merchants (BID) for Gold Line Continued from page 1 erty owners began informal meetings over a year ago and last summer formed a more organized group which has begun meeting twice a month. The group has a sort of board consisting of 8 individuals and one nonvoting honorary member from the city which meets the second Tuesday of each month. This core group reports to the merchants and property owners as a whole on the fourth Tuesday. On a regular basis, approximately 25 individuals attend these meetings, not always the same group. The group has had presentations from other BIDs and has also received input from the city of Arcadia according to one
of the Group’s organizers, Matt McSweeney of Matt Denny’s. The group has come up with a Mission Statement: The Arcadia Downtown Business Association is a unified voice of businesses and property owners, together, to revitalize and promote the downtown business area through increased public improvement, stimulation of new capital investment and blending of public and private economic development strategies. It is our continued mission to increase property values and business n the downtown area ad to make the downtown a fun, safe and friendly place in which to shop, eat, work and live. With the assistance
of the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce and Jerry Schwartz, the Economic Development Manager for Arcadia, the group has reached some basic conclusion according to McSweeney. The area, as currently situation, does not have an identity of its own, i.e. it does not have much personality or appeal which would draw people to it. The of the goals of the group is to market the downtown as a destination and to increase foot traffic in the area. According to a recent report to a meeting of the Chamber, McSweeney write that to do this they realize that they must make sure that residents know about the services available and
Everyday is an open house:
what is available in the area. Doing this, according to that report, the perception of the area needs to be changed. McSweeney wrote, “The people involved in this Association want to better their properties businesses, incomes and quality of life while helping beautify the city, make it a fun, safe and friendly place to shop, eat, work, live and increase tax revenues for the city. With the financial assistance of the city, the Association is consulting with Urban Place Planning Group regarding the formation of a BID. Their report was discussed with the “board” of the Association and will be presented to the general membership later this
www.huntvh.com
month. It will not be made public until after the members of the City Council has had a chance to study it. According to Schwartz, the city council wants to review the report at a study session prior to acting on this matter. Before the council can consider this issue, it plans to continue its study of the proposed homeowners association. “This comes first,” Schwartz said, “as it is a continuation of the matter already under consideration.” At this point, no definitive date has been set for a study session for this matter. Further complicating the issues the unsettled status of local redevelopment agencies. The state Supreme
Court has stayed only a portion of the two actions which put the status of these agencies in a sort of no man’s land. In the first action, cities have been told that they cannot take any action through any agency and that the agencies assets are now those of the state. The section act allowed cities to “opt out” of the state take over, funds would need to be paid to the state. The Supreme Court has stayed only a portion of these acts, basically putting on hold all development agency business. Since BIDs are traditionally created out of redevelopment agencies, this puts the issue on hold until the Supreme Court acts.
Animal Adoption Fair in Monrovia Saturday, August 20, 2011 11:00am to 3:00pm
626-357-2335 MON, THURS, FRI 8-6PM TUES 8-8PM SAT. 8-1PM
535 West Huntington Drive in Monrovia Find lost pets quickly and easily! Free Microchip implantation (with purchase of Home Again registration membership)
MEDICINE:
24 Hour Personnel •Annual Exams •Behavioral Counseling •Digital X-Rays •Laser Therapy •Vaccinations •Dermatology •In House Pharmacy •Dentistry •In House Laboratory No Cost Second •OFA: Hips, Elbows, Patellas, Cardiac, Thyroid Opinions
SURGERY:
•Orthopedics - TPO, TPLO, TTA •Neurosurgery
We accept :
(626) 357-1787 Will be held behind the Highlander Pet Center at: 419 W. Foothill Blvd. Monrovia, Ca 91016
Free Pre-Operative Blood Panels on all surgical/dental procedures
•Spay and Neuter •General and Advanced Bring this ad to redeem your free bonuses
Rescued dogs, cats, and other critters will be for adoption. All animals have been rescued from high kill shelters.
Gary R.White, DVM
*All animals are sprayed/neutered, vaccinated, & micro chipped. * Application, home check, contract, & adoption fee.