Montrose

An 18-year-old Montrose woman was arrested Monday on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol after losing control of her car and crashing into a light pole on Canada Boulevard, officials said. The woman, Teri Haggar, was driving south about 9:30 p.m. on the 2900 block of Canada Boulevard when she decided to pass a slower car, according to Glendale police reports. She lost control on a turn at speeds of up to 70 mph, went into the bike lane and struck a light pole and tree, according to police.

A proposed Starbucks in Montrose is getting mixed reviews from local business owners who say the corporate chain may not mesh with the independent image of the district (“Proposed Starbucks stirs up Montrose,” Sept. 9)? Did anyone not notice there was a Coffee Bean and Quiznos across the street in the picture that accompanied this story? The Coffee Bean has more than 750 locations in 22 countries and generates millions a year in revenue. Same for Quiznos, except they have thousands of locations.

For the past couple of months, there has been a great deal of discussion about having a Starbucks coffeehouse open near another franchise coffeehouse, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, in Montrose. (“Starbucks tries to woo business owners, Oct. 7). Montrose residents and merchants are proud that Honolulu Avenue is the home of many mom-and-pop stores. With the possible inclusion of Starbucks on Honolulu, I would like to ask the “locals” if they truly believe in the free marketplace and competition.

I read with much interest the letter from William Brown on Feb. 10 titled “ 'Road diet' plan a recipe for disaster ” and wish to comment regarding the proposed “road diet” through Montrose. I, too, agree that this ill-conceived plan is a disaster looking for a happening. Many of us local residents use Honolulu Avenue on a daily basis for our east-west commute. There are no alternate routes, other than Foothill Boulevard, which is teeming with commuters, kids and local shoppers.

A "person of interest" has been identified in connection with an Orchard Supply Hardware burglary and police pursuit that ended in a Montrose neighborhood on Monday, putting 34 homes under lockdown for three hours for a search that eventually turned up empty. The California Highway Patrol has identified Lang Patrick Martinez, 37, of Simi Valley, as a person of interest in the burglary and ensuing pursuit, which ended when the alleged burglar pulled into a driveway at Sycamore near Cloud, parked and fled on foot.

Recent headlines present a thought-provoking juxtaposition: “Changes sown at the Harvest Market” and “Lights, camera, money” on Feb. 3. Change is coming to Montrose, beyond the proposals for the Harvest Market, and here's what I wonder. If Montrose starts to look like Any Other Town, U.S.A., with a Starbucks on every corner, while losing a bit of our frisson due to a ban on politics at our farmer's market (can that even be legal?), will TV and movie production companies continue to be interested in filming here?

As rent prices rise in Montrose, there is debate about what the market can actually endure along Honolulu Avenue. Former shopping park president John Drayman and current president Dale Dawson state that the average retail rent in the City of Glendale is around $2 per square foot. Property owners new to the area, however, have stated that at this price, rents in the shopping park are too low. Commercial property owners that have owned units for many years in the shopping park argue that one has to understand the consumer base when determining what kind of rents are sustainable for Montrose’s mom and pop retail businesses.

A 50-year-old Montrose man was arrested this morning after he allegedly fired shots at an occupied vehicle, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said. At about 2:20 a.m., the man, whose name wasn't immediately released, allegedly fired shots at a vehicle occupied by two people, in the 1900 block of Waltonia Drive, said sheriff's Sgt. Brett Hanson. No one was injured in the shooting, which occured in the unincorporated part of Montrose. Sheriff's deputies are asking residents to avoid the area because they are still investigating the shooting.

The surgery to help diagnose a Montrose boy’s elusive medical condition was unsuccessful Wednesday, his mother Natalia LoCicero said. The procedure had never been done on someone so young, and 4-year-old Reece LoCicero will likely undergo a different and potentially more invasive operation in a few weeks, she said. From the time he was 10 months old, Reece’s life has been marked with myriad of symptoms difficult for doctors to diagnose, including unexplained bleeding and sores.

An 18-year-old Montrose woman was arrested Monday on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol after losing control of her car and crashing into a light pole on Canada Boulevard, officials said. The woman, Teri Haggar, was driving south about 9:30 p.m. on the 2900 block of Canada Boulevard when she decided to pass a slower car, according to Glendale police reports. She lost control on a turn at speeds of up to 70 mph, went into the bike lane and struck a light pole and tree, according to police.

The ousted manager of the Montrose Harvest Market has started his own weekend event with the help of former City Councilman John Drayman. Despite an ongoing investigation into allegations that Drayman embezzled money from the Montrose Shopping Park Assn., which manages the Harvest Market on Honolulu Avenue, several vendors who plan to join a new craft market Saturday say they aren't worried about the investigation. “I have no idea what he did wrong. I have no say in that, but all I know is the way he treated me,” said collectibles vendor Bob Waldron.

A 50-year-old Montrose man was arrested this morning after he allegedly fired shots at an occupied vehicle, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said. At about 2:20 a.m., the man, whose name wasn't immediately released, allegedly fired shots at a vehicle occupied by two people, in the 1900 block of Waltonia Drive, said sheriff's Sgt. Brett Hanson. No one was injured in the shooting, which occured in the unincorporated part of Montrose. Sheriff's deputies are asking residents to avoid the area because they are still investigating the shooting.

The association in charge of the Montrose Shopping Park is looking to add another employee to its ranks, making it the city's only business improvement group with such a robust workforce. The Montrose Shopping Park Assn. board of directors, which decides how roughly $360,000 gets spent to promote the quaint shopping district along Honolulu Avenue, is mulling over adding a “Montrose Ambassador” to meet with business owners and bring their comments or complaints back to the board.

January 9, 1910 - March 22, 2012 Bill Bowman, 102 years old, passed away Thursday, March 22 at 7:10 am with his loved ones beside him.  “Billy” as recorded on his birth certificate, was born in Los Angeles on January 9, 1910.  His parents were Jane Dunbar and Ross C. Bowman.  His first home was at 1243 East Adams, Los Angeles.  In 1921, Bill and his mother, Jane, moved to Montrose.  At that time, Montrose was a one block town. ...

I read with much interest the letter from William Brown on Feb. 10 titled “ 'Road diet' plan a recipe for disaster ” and wish to comment regarding the proposed “road diet” through Montrose. I, too, agree that this ill-conceived plan is a disaster looking for a happening. Many of us local residents use Honolulu Avenue on a daily basis for our east-west commute. There are no alternate routes, other than Foothill Boulevard, which is teeming with commuters, kids and local shoppers.

Recent headlines present a thought-provoking juxtaposition: “Changes sown at the Harvest Market” and “Lights, camera, money” on Feb. 3. Change is coming to Montrose, beyond the proposals for the Harvest Market, and here's what I wonder. If Montrose starts to look like Any Other Town, U.S.A., with a Starbucks on every corner, while losing a bit of our frisson due to a ban on politics at our farmer's market (can that even be legal?), will TV and movie production companies continue to be interested in filming here?

In the months since the Montrose Shopping Park Assn. remade itself in the wake of the Harvest Market revenue investigation, the quiet mom-and-pop district it oversees has been showing signs of growing pains. May we refer merchants to that universal anthem, no pain, no gain? The picture of a bygone era of Americana, the tranquil district has been generating the sort of outside business interest that more bustling metropolitan areas typically attract. Trader Joe's moved in, and this week, Glendale officials signed off on permits for a new Starbucks on Honolulu Avenue.

Merchants in Montrose are mulling ways to better accommodate a burgeoning demand for their location from production companies who have been flocking to the area for its quaint setting. On Monday, NBC's “Awake” shut down the first block of Honolulu Avenue in the Montrose Shopping Park for much of the day and a commercial shoot could close off a block all day later this month. The easternmost block of Honolulu Avenue, especially, is popular with film shoots because of its high density of small shops and restaurants.