Looking Back and Looking Forward…

Thanks to the Montrose Shopping Park, our town is shining bright this holiday season. We hope you are shopping, dining and enjoying the beautiful town of Montrose during this holiday season. Saturdays and Sundays are full of holiday cheer: horse-drawn carriage rides, pony rides, carolers singing, Santa visits, shopping, dining and much more. As we look back over the past year we know that many people and organizations are what help make our community great.

There are many fond memories of 2016 for us at the Chamber. It hasn’t been the easiest year for some but as we look forward to 2017 we must let hope fill our hearts and be thankful for all that we have. Every year at this time we select our Annual Community Recognition Award winners. It is our chance to recognize the businesses, the people and the organizations that have contributed to our community in a significant way. We will honor all of our award winners at our annual installation and community awards dinner on Thursday, Feb. 16 at the Oakmont Country Club.

Here is the list of our awardees: Business of the Year – Surface Fitness, owner Shannon Pondella for her volunteer work with many of the schools and children in the Crescenta Valley to instill in them a lifelong commitment to staying fit; Organization of the Year – Community Foundation of the Verdugos for its philanthropic efforts to help meet charitable needs and provide financial resources to support issues in our community; Chris Waldheim Oktoberfest Volunteer of the Year – Berkshire Hathaway La Crescenta for tirelessly manning an Oktoberfest food booth for many years; Educator of the Year – Mathew Schick, CVHS music program director for teaching many of our children to fall in love with the arts; Beautification Award – Glendale Arts for painting all of our utility boxes in the area; Community Enhancement Award – Trattoria-Allegria for creating another unique dining experience in Montrose; Community Endearment Award – Joanna Linkchorst Friends of Rockhaven for helping preserve the future of Rockhaven; President’s Award – Eric Hamilton; Firefighter of the Year –  Glendale Fire Dept. Battalion Chief Brian Julian; Peace Officer of the Year – Crescenta Valley Sheriff Deputy Scott Shinagawa; In the Line of Duty – Glendale Police Officers Jimmy Mercado, Christopher Clay and Matthew Stafford for rescuing a woman from a burning house; Frank Roberts Award – Lt. Col. Dave Worley for his tireless commitment to the Crescenta Valley.

Thank you to all for your immeasurable contributions to our community. We hope you will join us as we honor our recipients and we wish you all a very happy holiday season.

Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce: Your source for all things local! Our mission is to actively support and enrich the community, vitality and pride of Montrose, to help preserve the historic district and small town atmosphere, to promote economic stability and positive, productive relationships within Montrose and the surrounding communities.

Upcoming events

Installation and community awards dinner on Thursday, Feb. 16 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Oakmont Country Club, 3100 Country Club Dr., Glendale 91208.

  melinda clarke