Applauding our neighbors

It’s not unusual for me to crow about how highly I think of our foothills community. The involvement of teachers and parents in our schools, the strong turn out at fundraisers and other community events and the overall supportive nature that we share here is a constant reminder of how fortunate I am to call this place home.even elevate the quality of life here in the foothills. These include Man, Woman, Volunteer, Business, Educator and Organization of the Year.because the choices were so difficult to make.

This past Wednesday morning I had the opportunity to again experience that sense of gratitude.

I am on the board of directors for the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce and this year I was also on the committee that oversees the nominations for the chamber’s annual recognition banquet. The banquet, held in November, recognizes those persons, organizations and businesses that help to maintain or

From what I understand, in some previous years there has not exactly been an abundance of nominees. This past Wednesday morning, however, our committee reviewed 22 candidates for these awards. Twenty-two. And let me say, reading the contributions made by these people and businesses was daunting.

Contributing money, time and talents, these nominees have donated a remarkable amount to this community. They have helped bring about the completion of public projects, elevated safety organizations, raised funds for school clubs and led Scout troops. Without them, the Crescenta Valley would not be the vibrant and rich place that it is.

It took the committee some time to wade through the applications to decide on who will be receiving this year’s awards. A couple of times we just stalled, looking at each other unable to choose who was more worthy — not an easy decision as we looked at all the accomplishments laid out before us.

In the end, we signed off on all the categories, though some choices were grudgingly made due to the difficulty in deciding. There was a sense of inspiration, however, when we realized how fortunate we were

The Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce Recognition Banquet takes place at the La Cañada Flintridge Country Club on Thursday evening, Nov. 6. It’s open to the public, so call the chamber office at (818) 248-4957 for ticket information.

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Come rain or shine, Oktoberfest is taking place this Saturday along Honolulu Avenue. As described by one of its organizers, the annual event is like a homecoming for the community of Montrose and its neighboring areas.

The family and I have been attending Oktoberfest for the past several years and it truly is like a homecoming or high school reunion, since so many of the attendees grew up in the area. As we cruise along Honolulu, we usually can’t go very far before we see someone we know. It’s a great time to catch up with friends.

I found it surprising that our boys were excited about heading over to Oktoberfest until I remembered that the students from Revolution Dance Center will be performing on stage. Did I mention that they’re pretty much all girls?

So, grab your friends and family, head down to Oktoberfest and listen for the sounds of Guten Tag (hello)!

See you there.