By Jason KUROSU

During its Dec. 4 meeting the Montrose Shopping Park Assn. announced that current MSPA president Andre Ordubegian of Copy Network would remain on the board and Jeannie Bone of Casa Córdoba would join the board. The pair ran unopposed and were elected to three-year terms.

MSPA Business Administrator and Event Coordinator Dale Dawson said that a lack of ballots submitted and opposition for candidacy led them to simply declare the election. The two will take their seats in January.

The Montrose Christmas Parade and holiday season led to discussions about holiday décor throughout Montrose. These included painting the windows on the corner of Honolulu and Montrose avenues and asking how long the Christmas lights can be left on the trees.

Several residents have asked why the Christmas lights in Montrose are not left turned on throughout the holidays.

“When it rains, they go out, every one of them. It’s been a problem for a very long time,” said Dawson, who described the lighting issue as an ongoing issue over the years.

Ordubegian added that his understanding was that the city of Glendale does not allow for lights to be left on trees year round. According to Steve Pierce, the argument was that leaving the lights on damaged the trees and kept them from growing properly, though the majority of the MSPA agreed that this was untrue.

Plans for the upcoming Founder’s Day in February were also discussed, when Montrose will be turning 102. The celebration will include a rancho style outdoor barbecue with food and a beer and wine garden. Live entertainment will include mariachis and dancing.

One development is that this would likely be the last year that Founder’s Day will be referred to by that name.

As Dawson said, “We’ve found every founder we can find.”

As of yet, no replacement name has been settled on.

The board also tried to decide on how to deal with businesses within Montrose that are not paying dues. The issue was a persistent enough one that the members of the MSPA board felt that businesses that were not paying would be taken off of the MSPA website and local directories.

Concerns were also expressed over how businesses handle trash outside of their establishments. Supplying businesses with trashcans, including ones with ashtrays, was considered.

Pierce said that he would head a volunteer trash pickup to help alleviate trash issues in Montrose. Members of the board were concerned that such efforts, while laudable, would not solve the issue of businesses not being accountable for their own trash.

“If you start collecting trash in front of those businesses, believe me, they’re not going to do anything,” said Ordubegian. “We need to get them involved. We can’t just do their work for them.”

“I’m not cleaning up for them,” said Pierce. “I’m cleaning up for Montrose.”

  Jason Kurosu, Leonard Coutin