Montrose …Your Valentine Place

How blessed we are to live in the beautiful mountains of sunny Southern California and to have a quaint little town like Montrose where we can get away from it all and relax. I was reminded of this on Saturday as both couples and women visited my store as part of their Saturday “Montrose Therapy.” They came to get the dogs groomed, get their nails done and have breakfast at a sidewalk café. But they did more than that. They carved out time to stop in the candy shop, visit a gift store, check out a boutique, and savor a yogurt, ice cream and coffee. As one busy executive put it, “This is ‘my’ time, where I treat myself.”

That’s what I love about Montrose. I just read in a local newspaper where the president of a company was quoted as saying that streets like Honolulu Avenue are dying and that “everyone” now goes to power centers with theaters and lifestyle stores. Really? A few days later the cover of a prominent fashion wholesale publication was saying just the opposite. The fact is the lifestyle centers are desperately trying to imitate us. They realize that a center full of chain stores that are found everywhere do not make for exciting shopping. They are looking for more “indie,” “mom & pop” and “one of a kind” boutiques to make shopping interesting.

Why? Because these unique “one of a kind” stores offer exceptional service. We each have a niche with merchandise that has been hand selected and uniquely presented. Where else in L.A. is there a store like Faye’s with sweet Valerie who will gladly wrap up that soft pink cotton nightie for your Valentine?

Have you ever seen another “Needle In A Haystack” that has a display of pink and red yarns and Valentine stitch kits to match?

How about the creative Valentine cards and books about love at Once Upon A Time? Where else can u find the oldest children’s bookstore and does such cute themed windows? Did you know this store recently had a Laura Ingalls Wilder event where little girls came wearing bonnets? Where else but in Montrose?

Montrose is a place where stores like The Clothing Market can set up shop and sell sexy, red shirred dresses that they design themselves. Where Andersen’s Pets orders Valentine cookie treats just for dogs. Where Mountain Rose Gifts has great joy displaying a Valentine tea table French style. Where Montrose Candy Co. customizes all manner of heart candy. Where Montrose Bakery puts on a feast for the eyes with their Valentine cupcakes and cookies. Where The T Room does Valentine tea on the patio. Where Patteye’s Closet continually surprises us with vintage bargains.

Are you seeing the picture? They want what we have! There is no place like the Montrose Shopping Park. Enjoy it! Take some time to wander Honolulu Avenue and check out all the shops. Give yourself a Valentine treat!

Connecting in Crescenta Valley

“Realize that everything connects to everything else.” Leonardo Da Vinci

If you have lived in the Crescenta Valley for any length of time, you realize this is a very small town and everything and everyone does connect to something or someone else.  I would bet just as there are the six degrees of Kevin Bacon, there are most likely the two  degrees of the Crescenta Valley. It seems that even if there is someone you do not know in La Crescenta they know someone you know. So why not all work together to make this town the best it can be?

One person that is always working to make this one of the best towns is none other than Steve Pierce. You can always find him somewhere in the town making it better. This Saturday at 8:30 a.m. you will find him at the La Crescenta Avenue off-ramp for a monthly cleanup. I know he would love your help making the town better this Saturday by volunteering to pick up the trash and refuse with him. He provides all the materials and gloves and all he needs is 45 minutes of your time and a little energy. If you cannot be there this Saturday, there is always next month or when you come into the Crescenta Valley via the La Crescenta Avenue off-ramp off the Foothill (210) Freeway, please admire how clean and beautiful it is, and when you see Steve around town, please thank him for that!

The chamber has a new member that I wish to introduce: Jeero Habeshian of the Glencrest Real Estate Team. He is a local, dedicated Realtor prepared to guide you in buying or selling your real property. He believes in using his skills in finance, contracts, negotiation, appraisal and marketing to your best advantage. He offers local expertise tailored to meet your needs. He knows the neighborhoods, schools, market conditions, zoning regulations and local economy.

I asked him the following questions about his business:

How long have you been in real estate?  My real estate sales team is the Glencrest Team and I have owned it since 2002. I have also been a broker/director for Kobeissi Properties since 2009.

What are you known for or what is your specialty? I’m a residential specialist. I do work with a select group of clients in light commercial and one to four units.

What do you like most about what you do? I really enjoy interaction with people and educating them to make good short- and long-term choices. Most clients become life-long relationships.

What continues to set you apart from your competition? I educate, pass along my experience, and befriend people so that we have a trust relationship.

What is your biggest challenge? My biggest current challenge is the stringent lending practices of the big banks.

What is your most favorite client? I seem to have the most fun with clients who have been working to buy or sell, and for whatever reason have been unable to succeed.

You can reach Jeero Habeshian at (818) 523-9995 or visit his website www.GlencrestTeam.com.

The Chamber is beginning to plan this year’s 8th Annual Hometown Country Fair.  Please contact us if you would like to help or be a sponsor of this huge hometown event.

Important dates: March 1 – Sponsorship deadline for Hometown Country Fair; March 7 – Business mixer at Bob Smith Toyota; March 18 – Day at the Races; March 28 – Smart-a-Thon; April 21 – HomeTown Country Fair.

Please contact our office for more details on any event. How to reach us: (818) 248-4957/ crescentachamber@aol.com / www.LaCrescenta.org / 3131 Foothill Blvd., Ste. D.

Clark Magnet Robotics Team – To Infinity and Beyond!

By Contributing Writer
Todd BLACK

As America continues its economic recovery, it is critical that we consider the importance of making things. We cannot rely solely on jobs in finance, software and healthcare. We need engineers. We must innovate and create physical objects – the tools, machines, devices and contraptions that solve problems and improve daily life. Our future as a country depends on rebuilding its infrastructure as well as making advances in sectors such as energy, biotechnology, communications, manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, clean water and mobile computing.

During the prosperous time after WWII, we made things. We built cars, we built machinery, we built televisions and radios, we built all of the things we used and consumed. We knew how to improvise and do things for ourselves. Schools had shop class. Students learned to use tools and make things.

Over the last 20 years things changed. Shop classes gave way to computer labs. Manufacturing technologies changed, hand drawn sketches gave way to 3D computer models. Automated machinery replaced hand operated tools. And we lost the importance of making things.    Fortunately, organizations such as FIRST (usfirst.org) are inspiring future generations to innovate and create using advanced technologies. Several local schools have FIRST robotics teams and the team at Clark Magnet High School is a shining example of the type of program that breeds the engineers who will guide us to future greatness.

I recently had an opportunity to visit the Clark robotics team and see them working while on a tour of the new engineering lab at Clark. It was refreshing to see a large group of high school kids working in groups on different subjects while all working toward the common goal of building a robot to compete in the FIRST Regional Competition in Long Beach this coming March.

Some students were working in the computer lab creating 3D models of parts to see how they all fit together before going on to make them. Other students were creating computer code used to program the control system. There were also students working on circuitry in the electronics lab. One group was working in a meeting space that was set up as the team’s business office, organizing fundraising and creating the team’s media. Another group was working in the shop space with the robot frame placing wheels and gears.    The main reason for my visit to Clark was to tour the school’s new engineering lab. The brainchild of Principal Doug Dall and engineering teacher David Black, the engineering lab is the only facility of its type in the Glendale Unified School District and is used by Clark’s Introduction to Engineering classes as well as the FIRST robotics team. Occupying about 2,400 square feet, the facility features a main shop area filled with equipment and workbenches, a classroom/computer lab with a dozen dual monitor CAD workstations, an electronics lab, two meeting rooms where groups can meet and strategize in a quiet environment and two other rooms for drilling and cutting.

The centerpiece of the engineering lab is a new HAAS CNC milling machine that was acquired with funding made available by Glendale Unified School District. Looking to maximize the limited funding available, Mr. Dall and Mr. Black brought in disused equipment from other schools and refurbished and installed it over winter break.

“This is not a high school shop in the traditional sense. We’re not in here with 40 students all making the same wood candleholder. When putting together the engineering lab, I wanted to create an R&D space where anyone could make anything – a place where engineering students could turn their concepts into reality by taking their digital designs and turning them into physical objects,” said engineering teacher David Black.

There are some amazing things going on in our community and the Clark Magnet High School FIRST Robitics team needs our help as they continue to fundraise for current and future operations. Check out their work at team696.org, and please email donate@team696.org to contribute.

Not a chamber member yet? We would love to have you join our network. We are running a special offer for new members who would like to join the chamber of commerce during the first quarter of this year. Please contact the office if you are interested in becoming a member or have any other questions that we can answer for you!

Melinda Clarke is the executive director of the Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce located at 3516 N. Verdugo Road in Glendale. She can be reached at  
(818) 249-7171. Visit the website www.montrosechamber.org.

Montrose … Take Two

The next time you are watching your favorite TV series you might see something that looks very familiar. It seems the film industry has a renewed interest in the Montrose Shopping Park these days as several prominent series are being shot on our streets and in our stores and cafes.

Just last week we had a major film shoot as HBO’s award winning series “True Blood” came to town and took over Bella Boutique for a full day of shooting. Bella owner Janet Vandagriff knows how these things work as she was a film editor for many years working with all the major studios. She has nothing but praise for HBO and their professionalism describing their film crew like a “small city” complete with round the clock security and medical personnel.

According to Janet, these folks put in long days. They showed up at her store at 7 a.m. on a Thursday and took detailed pictures of how the store was arranged so they could put everything back in perfect order when they were done. “True Blood,” in its fifth season, is a series about the co-existence of humans and vampires set in Bon Temps, a small town in Louisiana. It has a huge cast and stars real life husband and wife team Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer.

For last week’s scenes, the cast worked all day and well into the night finishing up at 1 a.m. Friday morning. Janet was there much of that time and watched as they also shot scenes at The Black Cow, Images Salon and in the alley. Of course in the show they will be changing the name of her store from Bella to a fictional name but we should recognize it nonetheless.

Filming in Montrose is a good thing for many reasons. In addition to giving us good publicity, it also provides an extra source of income for the shopping park and our merchants. In recessionary times this helps us pay for the special events and advertising the MSPA does to promote the community.

Another by-product is that the film crews help support our stores by shopping and dining. Many of them have never been to Montrose before and are charmed and amazed by such a cute town so close to the hustle and bustle of L.A.

Did you know that just three days ago Jason Isaacs was walking Honolulu Avenue filming the new NBC series “Awake”? If you saw him you probably wouldn’t recognize him. But if he had shoulder length white blonde hair like his character for his most popular role he would surely set off a major frenzy. Yes, Jason Isaacs played Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies!

So keep your eyes open and keep shopping Montrose. It’s very exciting here, especially with many of our stores and cafes ready for Valentine’s Day.

Community Partnerships

I got back from an event yesterday called Glendale Outlook 2012 where the new Glendale City Manager Scott Ochoa spoke. He gave an update on the status of the city, told of his vision for Glendale, talked about all the “financial concerns” in the city and then confidently let us all know that the city of Glendale was one of the premier places to live, work and play in Southern California.

As I was listening to all that he had to say, I thought, “What part can I play in all of this and what part can the Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce play in this?” I knew right away that when he began talking about the reduction of funding to the state of California from the federal government, from the reduction of funding from the state of California to the city of Glendale, we were going to have to begin to think of new ways to “get the job done.”

When Glendale’s budget is impacted, it affects us all. It affects our businesses, our schools, our public safety, our housing market and general way of life. But, like Mr. Ochoa said, “Does that mean that we give up, or does that mean that we have to find an answer to the problem?”

Of course, we all know the answer to that question. We have to find a way to continue and develop new ways of creating a thriving community on limited resources. As history proves, this is the time when radical changes take place in how we approach our day-to-day living. The changes occurring force us to stretch ourselves, to begin to think outside of “the box” and think of new creative ways to do the same thing. After all, necessity is the mother of invention! However, the one thing that never seems to change, as Mr. Ochoa pointed out, is the importance of community involvement and support. This is where we come in.

Now more than ever, each of us, individually and collectively, has to offer what we can. This could be volunteering at many of the local organizations in the community, creating new organizations to meet a particular need that you see or just stopping by your neighbors’ to see if you can lend a helping hand. Community partnership is very important in this time.

Here at the Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce, we want to be a community partner to businesses and residents. We are working on ways to network and partner with other organizations and with the city of Glendale to meet the needs and concerns of the area.

If you need any assistance with your business or have questions about the area, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Not a chamber member yet? We would love to have you join our network. We are running a special offer for new members who would like to join the chamber of commerce during the first quarter of this year. Please contact the office if you are interested in becoming a member or have any other questions that we can answer for you!

Counting Our Blessings – Isn’t Too Hard to Do

“The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to
count our blessings.” Eric Hoffer


With weather like we have had this week in the Crescenta Valley, it is a little easier to count our blessings that we live in this great community.

One place you can go to enjoy this beautiful weather is Leon Bakery & Café.   Inspired by the cafes around Europe and America, Leon Bakery & Café offers the finest cafe dining, European pastries, danishes, artisan breads and sandwiches. Their unique special order cakes, baked goods and gourmet cupcakes are made to order. Their café includes a wide variety of natural teas, fresh fruit smoothie creations and specialty coffee drinks. The best part is you can enjoy your coffee, tea or smoothie with your dessert of choice in their outside sitting area under a Leon umbrella shade. In the evening they have a spectacular fire pit made to keep you warm and enjoy the glow of the fire with friends, family and new acquaintances. Leon Bakery & Café is located at 2519 Cañada Blvd., Glendale and is a free public WiFi zone.

A great opportunity to see this beautiful bakery and café is Wednesday, Feb. 8 at the Crescenta Valley Chamber business mixer. Join 50 to 60 of our members and prospective members for only $7 for members and $9 for non-members, which includes a chance to mingle with great people and enjoy delicious refreshments.

Thank you to these members that renewed their membership to the CV Chamber:  S.I.G. Property Management is a full-service property management company that can handle all your renting, screening, and fiscal responsibilities. Whether you own apartment complexes, commercial properties, condos or rental homes, they handle it all in a professional, efficient manner. With industry experience since 1991 and an earned reputation for excellent customer service, S.I.G. Property Management is ready to help run your properties more smoothly. Their physical address is 2937 Honolulu Ave., La Crescenta or find out more info at (818)-249-RENT or www.sigpm.com.

From young children to great grandparents, Thompson Family Dental provides dental services for the entire family. Dr. Thompson has built his practice on quality care and referrals from happy patients. Whether you need emergency treatment or full mouth dental care, Thompson Family Dental has a great reputation for quality treatment, prompt service and smiling faces. Dr. Thompson attended UCLA School of Dentistry and graduated with honors in 1990. He is also a product of the Crescenta-Cañada community having attended Mountain Avenue Elementary School, Rosemont Junior High School, and Crescenta Valley High School. Thompson Family Dental is a family dental practice, with an emphasis on quality care, located at 4526 Rinetti Lane in La Cañada. For more information see www.thompsonfamilydental.net or call (818) 790-5220.

Thank you to all our members. It is a collaborative effort that enables us to successfully impact the Crescenta Valley. We count our blessings for serving you.

Important dates:  Feb 8 – Business mixer at Leon Bakery & Café; March 7 – Business mixer at Bob Smith Toyota; March 18 – Day at the Races; March 28 – Smart-a-Thon.

Please contact our office for more details on any event. How to reach us: (818) 248-4957/ crescentachamber@aol.com / www.LaCrescenta.org / 3131 Foothill Blvd., Ste. D.

Enjoying SPA PURA

Many of us equate the month of January with newness, clean homes, a time to start diets and do things that are good for us. It brings to mind Spa Pura, who for the second year in a row was named “Best Day Spa In Glendale.” For such a quaint, little town, we have a spa that would be the envy of many other neighborhoods, boasting three peaceful floors with candlelit, spacious lounges in 7,000 square feet. There is a menu to match that includes facials, advanced skincare, massages and body treatments.

Owner Michelle Ju and her daughter manager Crystal Ju are firm believers in advanced skin care. There is a full menu of facials with names like “European Deep Cleansing Facial,” “Aromatherapy Facial,” and “Calming Facial” which go for $85 for 60 minutes. But that’s not all!     There is a whole category of advanced facials administered by licensed estheticians. Spa Pura has the latest, state of the art equipment for these that range in price from $150 to $400 a session. I had never experienced anything like this and Michelle felt I needed to in order to write about it properly. I certainly was not going to disagree with her logic. Lucky me!

Of course I showed up with my camera and notepad and started doing all the things I do to prepare for this column. But then I heard the magic words from Crystal: “It’s time to put away your work now and relax.” And that’s exactly what I did.

All my belongings were stored in a locker and I was given a robe and slippers. Before the facial came Spa Pura’s signature treatment, the Korean body scrub. Exfoliation is the first step to better skin and Cindy Kang did an excellent job. My skin felt invigorated and clean and it was time to softly pad my way to the facial room for 60 minutes of bliss.

Lillit Hakobyan is an expert at what she does. The “Hydra Facial” includes exfoliation, an infusion of serums and massage. All the while you are in a dimly lit room with relaxing spa music and the occasional sound of trickling water. I emerged with lines softened and skin glowing.

I could easily go on, but I must tell you about the “Best In Glendale January Special.” For $110 (normally $150), you get a one-hour massage or facial. In addition you can choose from a 30-minute Korean Scrub or a 30-minute neck and shoulder massage. You may also consider becoming a member of the spa. For a six month membership at $99 a month, you can choose from a 60 minute massage, facial or scrub. You also get unlimited spa use from Monday through Thursday, and 10% off additional services and retail products. There is also a simpler $69 membership.

Spa Pura is located at 2270 Honolulu Ave., next to Sake. They are open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. To learn more, check out their website at www.myspapura.com. If you want to see how my face looked after this extravagant treatment, check out my pics on the Montrose Shopping Park Facebook page.

Building a Community Can Start With One

“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.”   George Bernard Shaw


Do you want to help make the Crescenta Valley a better place? I found these eight steps on ehow.com, which can help you take the first steps in making this a better community:


1) Take action. Don’t just sit back and wait for your community to get better by itself. You need to get involved. 2) Volunteer your time, energy, money and yourself. If there is a park clean-up day, volunteer to help. Volunteer to help local businesses or homes clean graffiti off walls. Get a group of people together and pick up trash on the streets or in planters on the side of the road in your community. 3) Get to know your neighbors. Know the people who live around you. Building a strong community is a team effort. You can’t do it all on your own. 4) Start a neighborhood watch. Keep your community safe by starting neighborhood watches.  5) Support local businesses. Try to shop at local businesses when you can, avoiding big box stores. “Mom and Pop shops” create a hometown feeling and welcoming atmosphere. 6) Restore historical landsites. Don’t let them get torn down. Head up or participate in fundraisers to raise funds that will go toward restoration of the buildings. Preserve the history of your community. 6) Support your local leaders. Get involved with volunteering at campaign time. You can also volunteer during election time. Get to know the people who are running your town. 7) Keep your community safe by starting neighborhood watches. Be patient. Realize that making your community a better place to live will not happen overnight. It will take time, energy and money to get the job done. Remember, don’t sit back and wait for it to happen. You have to get involved!

The board and members of our chamber are always working to improve the community. The Chamber organized an e-recycle event this past weekend that collected over six pallets of items that will not end up in our landfill. On the second Saturday of each month, Steve Pierce and his crew clean up the off-ramp of La Crescenta Avenue (and volunteers are welcomed).

On the second Wednesday of each month one of our member businesses donates their space and food to host a community mixer so that members can gather to learn how they can do business with one another.

On March 18, many of our members will gather for a Day at the Races at the Santa Anita Race Track to raise funds for the Sheriff’s Support Group.

On March 28, many of the community will gather for our annual Smart-a-Thon that raises funds for grants for the educational institutions in the Crescenta Valley.

This is just a smidgen of what our chamber does. Want to join us? We would love the privilege to get to know you, show you what we do and have you join us!

Important dates: Feb. 8 – Business mixer at Leon Bakery & Café; March 7 – Business mixer at Bob Smith Toyota; March 18 – Day at the Races; March 28 – Smart-a-thon.

Please contact our office for more details on any event. How to reach us: (818) 248-4957/ crescentachamber@aol.com / www.LaCrescenta.org / 3131 Foothill Blvd., Ste. D.

Installation Dinner Tonight

Highlighting the final four Community Service Award winners.


The installation dinner is tonight and we are looking forward to honoring all of our award recipients and installing our 2012 board of directors.

Our Educator Of The Year award goes to an educator who contributes her talents above and beyond expectations, showing exceptional dedication to educating our youth and demonstrating an interest in community involvement. We have chosen Crescenta Valley High School Principal Michele Doll.

Before Doll became CVHS’s principal, she spent four years as assistant principal and three years as associate principal at Glendale High School. She moved from there to become the principal of Rosemont Middle School where she stayed for two years and then moved on to CVHS. Since being at the middle school, she has attended many meetings along with retired CVHS principal Linda Evans, which helped her get an understanding of the community and the Crescenta Valley schools. She has partnered with various organizations on many community issues including the CV Drug and Alcohol Prevention Coalition.

Our Oktoberfest Volunteer Of The Year award goes to an individual or group that has given of their time and service in making the annual Oktoberfest a success. I’m sure everyone in the community has heard of Chris Waldheim and J’s Maintenance in La Crescenta. Chris puts his time into almost everything going on in the area including Oktoberfest, Foothills Relay for Life, The Montrose Christmas Parade and supporting the Crescenta-Cañada YMCA. Chris and his J’s Maintenance crew give tirelessly to Oktoberfest by providing all of the food for the event, coordinating the food booths and bringing the streets back to normal when it is all over. I know everyone wants to thank you, Chris, for that!

Our Volunteer Of The Year award goes to an individual who renders outstanding service to the community in the area of civic or philanthropic activities. We have chosen Robbyn Battles of Battles Real Estate. Robbyn is a member of the Crescenta Valley  Town Council, an advisory board member for the Crescenta Valley Drug and Alcohol Prevention Coalition, is on the GUSD Bond Oversight Committee for Measure S and is president of ASTER (Assisting Senior Through Enhanced Resources). Her contributions have not only impacted these organizations, but the community overall.

Our Business Person Of The Year award goes to a business person who demonstrates exemplary service to the community through their time, goods or services. Henry Baeza of Montrose Bakery is our winner this year.

Henry tirelessly gives of his resources from his bakery to many events and organizations in the community and has served the area for over 20 years. He has given food and pastries to events like the 2011 City Council forum, the Vietnam War Memorial Day ceremony, special events at the Verdugo Hills Hospital and local school events to name just a few.

Please come support all of these outstanding individuals, businesses and local organizations.

Our installation dinner takes place tonight Jan. 26 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Angeles National Golf Course, 9401 Foothill Blvd., Sunland. Portions of the proceeds from this event go to our Anita Peet Geyer Scholarship Fund.

If you would like to attend, you can pay by Visa, MasterCard, Amex or check payable to: MVCCC, 3516 N. Verdugo Road, Glendale, CA 91208.

We hope to see you there.

The MSPA Welcomes A New Year

Just a few days into the new year, the board of the Montrose Shopping Park Association assembled early in the morning for our first meeting of the year. As vice president, I had the pleasure of presiding over the beginning of the meeting as this is the time of year where the board elects its new president. This was a new experience for me and I took the time to introduce the state of retail as outlined in “Smart Retailer,” a publication for the wholesale trade. They are predicting 2012 to be another bumpy ride with some glimmers of hope here and there. They said that most businesses are planning to focus on their core customers, aka “locals,” as opposed to reaching out to new areas.

After the message and some visitor reports, we moved on to our board appointments. Ken Grayson of Grayson’s Tune Town will be serving the town as president this year. He has a wealth of experience on the MSPA board from years gone by and, like executive director Dale Dawson, has a thorough understanding of the financial and budgeting areas. Ken is looking for more of our merchants, both long time and new, to get more involved. We are planning to have a “meet & mingle” this year with our merchants and the City of Glendale that we hope is both informative and fun.

La Perla Design Studio owner Jake Menachian is jumping in with both feet this year as he heads up both the Advertising/Events committee and the Harvest Market committee. Jake is full of energy and has an advertising background. He is working to draw more folks to town and jazz things up a bit as we get ready to celebrate Montrose’s 99th birthday. It looks to be a fun year!

Copy Network owner Andre Ordubegian is our new board secretary and is excited about serving on Events & Advertising. He looks to be a great board member.

Joselito’s owner Corey Grijalva is lending his expertise to our weekly Harvest Market. We are so thankful for his involvement and leadership here. Our market is great now and we want to make it the best it can be.

We continue to greatly appreciate the wise council of lawyer Danny Pranata whose family owns Honolulu Wood & Things. Danny and his wife are expecting child number three.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. You can tell from this pic that this group likes each other and is happy to be serving together doing what we do. It’s a lot of work and can sometimes seem like a thankless job, but is nonetheless very rewarding knowing we are benefitting our community. Things have come full circle here and it is a joy to behold.