By Jason KUROSU

The Crescenta Valley Community Association (CVCA) held its regular meeting with tentative plans to form the Friends of Foothill Boulevard, a group that would unify business owners along La Crescenta’s busiest street, similar to the Montrose Shopping Park Association.

Thursday night’s meeting explored avenues for increasing business for the vendors along Foothill. The idea of a group for Foothill’s business owners has been discussed with Jackie Bartlow of Glendale Community Services but, according to CVCA member Nancy Comeau, the concept “isn’t catching on.”

“I suggested the Friends of Foothill Boulevard as maybe a transition group,” said Comeau. “The businesses don’t have time to do this organizing. Everyone is so busy and they don’t have time to put in that effort, doing the flyers, getting the meetings set up. That could be done by neighbors, business people who happen to have some spare time here or there, anyone who is interested in the businesses on Foothill.”

A subject of the meeting, which was attended by one lone business owner, Mark Taglianetti of Mook Apparel, was the reluctance of fellow business owners to form a group for the purpose of local business promotion, though the reluctance was attributed more to a lack of knowledge of what such a group would offer rather than a lack of desire to work together with other business owners.

The establishment of a Facebook page for the Friends of Foothill Boulevard was one of several steps CVCA felt would bring other business owners into the fold. Taglianetti volunteered to create the page, citing the effectiveness of utilizing Facebook over other websites, as well as over flyers, which can be easily ignored.

“Not only is Facebook free but information on Facebook is mixed in with all of your other stuff, rather than having to go to someone else’s website,” said Taglianetti.

National Night Out, the annual event organized by law enforcement officials, Neighborhood Watch groups and local residents, was also suggested as another means of bringing the business owners together that generally promote NNO through giveaways if not by hosting the actual event at their place of business.

Just as NNO, which takes place on Aug. 6 this year, promotes crime prevention by familiarizing residents with their neighbors and local law enforcement, the CVCA feels the event could be utilized to familiarize participating businesses with each other. Ideas also included coordinated promotions between multiple Foothill businesses, such as using the same decorations or having several businesses leave store lights on at night, in what was termed the “Leave the Lights On” event. A NNO planning meeting is set for July 18 at the Glendale Police Dept. for the public to discuss more ideas.

While the CVCA continues to push for a coalition focused on local business, it’s unclear how Foothill’s business owners will view CVCA’s proposed measures. Their impact will be assessed at the next CVCA meeting in late July.

  Jason Kurosu