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Do LA Chinese restaurant waiters not smile enough?

Jue W-Yolanda — Wed, 23 May 2012 05:44:03 +0000

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May 23, 2012

World Journal (世界日報) reports that Chinese restaurant customers don't think they're getting service with a smile. Waiters reply that it is hard for them to offer considerate service with an excessive workload.

Some diners said that the waiters were often in a rush and did not give them warm welcomes. A customer complained that the waiter started cleaning up the table in the middle of a family-gathering meal, showing them the back door. In some cases, the waiters arranged strangers to sit at the same table during busy hours. A foodie who frequents San Gabriel Valley commented that the Chinese restaurants had first-class food but third-class service.

Many waiters responded to the Journal that they are under intense pressure from workload and the potential to be fired. According to Mr. Chen, an experienced waiter who has been serving in a San Gabriel Valley restaurant for ten years, his work days have been cut from five days to four days since last year, while his work load has doubled. Another waiter said that he worked long hours six days a week, and his job got overwhelming during the weekend as loads of customers flood in. In this circumstance, he said, it is hard for a waiter to keep smiling.

San Gabriel Valley's Chinese population jumps

Jue W-Yolanda — Wed, 16 May 2012 01:04:10 +0000

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May 16, 2012

San Gabriel Valley’s Chinese population is increasing at a faster rate than elsewhere in Los Angeles, China Press reports. In the past 10 years, Chinese residents have growth rates ranging from 4% to 14% in some cities, compared with Los Angeles County’s overall population increase rate 3.1%.

According to writer Qiu Chen, a few reasons lead to San Gabriel Valley’s rapidly increasing Chinese population: Chinese immigrants’ pursuit of safe neighborhoods and good schools for their children, increased purchasing power for those in mainland China, and the changing housing market in recent years.

The article explains why Chinese immigrants and mainland Chinese investors are purchasing property in the San Gabriel Valley, citing value, investment opportunities, or interests in preparing a living place for study-abroad children. A real estate broker also said that the Chinese customers have three general characteristics: wealthy buyers purchasing luxury houses to maintain value; immigrants purchasing homes with good neighborhood and educational resources; and investors buying houses in less expensive predominantly Latino areas who hire real estate brokers to lease these houses.

San Gabriel cities ordered by Asian population.

Cities highlited in yellow have a significant (20%+) population of two ethnic groups. Those highlighted in green are three-way cities, with two groups with 20%+ and one with 15%+. The cities not highlighted have one dominant ethnic group.

Atlantic Blvd: Center of urban renewal?

daniela.gerson — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:00:58 +0000

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May 14, 2012

The LA Times' architecture critic, Christopher Hawthorne, posits that Atlantic Blvd., which runs from Alhambra to Long Beach, is undergoing significant changes to become less auto-centric.

The classic drive-through architecture of the Southern California strip, though a whole lot of it remains, is slowly making way for a new, more public cityscape.

The Alhambra area, though, appears behind this trend according to his analysis. His first stop? Mrs. Lin, psychic.

The drive-in car-centered architecture of Atlantic Blvd isn't limited to fast-food joints and motels. Near the northern end of Atlantic in Alhambra you can pull into a massive parking lot and walk just a few steps to the Mrs. Lin psychic shop. ..The bright red shop is half architecture, half billboard and easy for drivers to spot.

And Hawthorne's next stop down Atlantic indicated that even if in Long Beach or East LA a thriving new public cityscape may be emerging, some of the local experiments still fall short. He calls the massive Atlantic Times Square development "decidedly uneven architectural results" with its found-floor shops and 210 condos. "It attempts to bring together the street-front energy of nearby Valley Boulevard in Alhambra, with its noodle shops and cacophony of signs in Chinese, and the upscale residential amenities and flashy lighting of Rick Caruso's Americana at Brand complex in Glendale," Hawthorne writes. "It is not a happy marriage."

Still, he writes, the trend along the boulevard points to a new path for Atlantic, including its roots in Alhambra: "Especially among younger Angelenos, including foreign-born immigrants and transplants from other American cities, there is a hunger for better-designed roadways and new ways of getting around. And L.A.'s political leadership is finally responding."

Saving Alhambra's youth with hard knocks

nathan.s — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:37:30 +0000

Release Date:

May 14, 2012

It began as a parental obligation for Rudy Tellez, whose daughter was at Alhambra High School at a time of vicious gang violence.

“We had a lot of problems back in the 80s with Brick City and the Asian gang...Wah Ching,” said Tellez, 63. When he witnessed a young person get shot, Tellez decided to take action: “I said no more, no more violence, we got to take care of this.”

Tellez, a former amateur boxer, took to what he knew best to curb aggression: he arranged a boxing tournament between two rival gangs. Nothing fancy, just a few boys and some boxing gloves to work out their frustrations. Today, the gangs are mostly gone, but the kids keep coming to his gym, Alhambra Youth Boxing Club. They come to work out, but also to see friends in a safe space. On any given day about 35 members, ages 7 to 25 and older, fill the gym with the sound of punches and chatter.

“We need more people like him, because he provides a real place for kids to grow and learn,” said Councilwoman Barbara Messina, who was on the city council when Tellez first approached the city about opening a boxing gym. “His heart is in the right place.”

Providing a vehicle to curb anger and support youth that goes beyond sport has been the intention since Tellez founded the gym in 1991. The retired dentist from East Los Angeles and his wife Antonia even provided a toastmasters program at their gym where teens practiced their speaking skills as well as an outreach or counseling sessions.

“That was one of our most proud accomplishments. Something that we did that helped so many kids, it really was new for the area,” said Tellez.

On a recent afternoon, the gym swelled with bodies after school. They came from Alhambra but also nearby El Sereno, Lincoln Heights, and other parts of East Los Angeles. Inside the club beat a pulse, one that all the trainers and athletes seem to understand. The young fighters, some under the age of 10, some girls, pummeled each other, but always exchanged thanks at the end.

“You get a lot of discipline here, something that a lot of these kids need in today’s society,” said Tellez, who has the abrasive swagger of a coach, but can also seem like an uncle who understands life can challenge a teenager. “If it’s boxing or with their mind, we let them work it out,”

Tellez suggests a monthly donation for membership, but he does not force anyone out for not paying. Instead, he relies on donations from parents, help from volunteers and students who clean up after themselves. In more than two decades, the gym moved three times, until finally settling in its current location on Main Street sandwiched between an auto shop and a Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation. The gym shows the ware that comes with finances stretched thin: the rings’ ropes are frayed, posters on the walls have faded into yellows, some of the speed bag frames are made from chipped wood.

But despite the gym's worn facade, the youth appear excited, some thrilled even, to be part of the group.

“Now that I’ve discovered it, I have to box like at least once a day,” said Tiffany Lemus, 19, from Alhambra. She knocks a speed bag and in the same breath talks with her friends, other girls who train at the gym. “It’s a great workout and it’s a relief – it keeps your mind off a lot of things.”

Tellez, who spends less time in the ring, still keeps a watchful eye over the scene. “We’re here for everyone, just so long as they have a good time and make it count.” And, as for the gang violence that drove him initially, he’s noticed the difference as well: “You don’t hear about it any more here in Alhambra.”

Location

Alhambra Youth Boxing Club

2314 West Main Street

Alhambra, CA 91801

United States

34° 5' 36.4992" N, 118° 8' 54.69" W

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San Gabriel Valley's "Power Babes"

Sarah Grear — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:16:00 +0000

Release Date:

May 10, 2012

The regulars at the Jay-Dee’s on Main Street looked up from their bar stools at the “Power Babes:” An accountant, courier, clown, hair dresser and podiatrist and more walked to the back room to network.

For the past two years, in locations as diverse as these "babes" themselves — including an auto repair shop, youth center, lingerie store, and the most recent meeting in a bar — nearly 100 women have joined forces to form the San Gabriel Valley Power Babes. The lead babe is the ever exuberant Julian Chung, an insurance agent and Alhambra resident since 1997 who happens to be my sister-in-law.

The group started when Chung created a regular luncheon with five business women — Ruccsana Ahmed, Michele Colon, Nickie Chan, Isabel Wu and Drue Lawlor — and one man, John Bingham. One day, he told them the name of their group: Power Babes. The name stuck, and Bingham earned himself honorary Power Babe status.

By the time I joined in March to promote my creative writing business and cardio ballet classes, the group had already grown to 95.

At the most recent Power Babes meeting at Jay-Dee Cafe, about 30 women came out for the luncheon. Chung stood in the middle of the dimly lit room and said, “We are here for two hours to relax and make friends.” But, as we ate homemade soup and sandwiches, she made clear this was also about developing our businesses, the importance of networking, and being the first line of referrals for each other.

Then we began our one-minute introductions, to be followed by brief presentations from a credit repair expert, a journalist on pitching your story, and motivational speaker.

Michele Summers Colon, a podiatrist from El Monte, stood up in her medical scrubs. She pulled out three-inch heels from a shoebox. “The shoe line is called 34 minutes,” Michele said. “I want to show women that you can wear heels for more than 34 minutes and still be comfortable.” Much hooting followed.

As the luncheon introductions continued some new faces were hard to miss: Vanessa Hidalgo from the Compassionate Clown Company came dressed in costume and Jennifer Gaulden from Kiss My Buttons had on her favorite “bling.”

Hidalgo, dressed in her clown outfit complete with purple wig and pink headband, pulled out a balloon she had twisted into the shape of Cinderella. A few seats down Gaulden proudly displayed her “Bling it On” rhinestone-encrusted t-shirt. She is a dance mom who built her home-based business in Temple City. Both Colon and Gaulden got connected to Power Babes through Alhambra’s Joanna Vargas.

Apparently, bling was popular among the Power Babes. Brenda Kyle, marketing assistant at Douglas Auto Body, held up one of Colon’s shoes when it was her turn to introduce herself. “I love these,” she said. “And my favorite color is bling. So if we can put Jennifer’s bling on Michele’s shoes then I will definitely be buying them.”

The next Power Babes meeting will be May 17 at the LifeWave (acupuncture patches) office at 407-3 West Valley Boulevard, Alhambra, CA 91803. If you’re a Power Babe, write to Julian Chung: jchunginsurance@yahoo.com. She said the qualifications are simple: "If we like you, you're invited."

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Alhambra art walk debuts

Wed, 09 May 2012 01:05:39 +0000

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May 9, 2012

Scores of Alhambra residents came out on Friday night for the first of a monthly series of art walks. The event — where local artists, musicians, and vendors display their skills and wares at the intersection of Garfield Avenue and Main Street — was still far from the scale of developed ones in Downtown Los Angeles or Venice, but it got a nice bump due to the debut of the Avengers movie at the Edwards Theater.

Friday night's artistic line up included live painting, colorful car hoods, hand crocheted scarves and more. Alhambra Source was also out silkscreening our t-shirts and creating a mural. (Conspicuously missing, though, was Main Street's Gallery Nucleus.)

The food trucks of the other art walks were not there yet, but Menchie's ice cream was popular and benefits supported Fremont Elementary. Proceeds of the art walk go to the entertainment fund to support other events such as the summer cultural series, the "Hot Spot" and Hallowscreem. The next art walk will be Friday, June 1.

From “soda jerks” to Cinco de Mayo sweet corn scoops at Fosselman’s — Alhambra’s ice cream history

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 04:48:18 +0000

Release Date:

May 8, 2012

As summer approaches — and in memory of ice cream icon Bill Fosselman who died a few weeks ago — we explore Alhambra’s sweet past.

By Joyce Amaro, Alhambra Preservation Group | From the Archives: This story was originally published 10.5.2010.

Alhambra once had as many family-owned ice cream parlors on some blocks as there are car dealerships on parts of Main Street today.These soda fountains — complete with a counter and round stools where families enjoyed delectable hand-made chocolate shakes, malts, phosphates and banana splits — are all but gone in Alhambra. Just one of the old-school variety remains: Fosselman’s, which has adapted its rich ice cream history to the city’s contemporary diversity.

Part of the great westward migration, Alhambra's ice cream parlor owners made their way to Southern California at the turn of the 20^th century to seek their fortune in the Golden State.

John Fosselman, whose grandfather came from Iowa and went on to open Fosselman’s Ice Cream Company, explained that the ethnic legacy of the migrants probably contributed to their tendency toward the dairy trade.

“One of the reasons as to why there was so much ice cream and dairy in that area is the fact that there was a very big German immigrant community,” he said. “I think it was just that the people brought the trade with them.”

In 1912, a few years before Fosselman’s grandfather opened his business, Alhambra's Main Street already boasted four ice cream parlors, all located within two blocks of each other and owned by migrants from the Midwest. The Alhambra Drug Company, owned and operated by Missouri-natives Millard and Iola Lucas, was located at First and Main Street. It featured “Ice Cream and Ices Made to Order by the Gallon.” Just east of Garfield Avenue and Main Street was the Dew Drop Inn, an ice cream parlor operated by Raymond and Jessie Canniff, a 20-something couple from Ohio. With a name like Dew Drop Inn, one can only imagine the cool treats served up by this fun-loving ice cream shop! Midwestern migrant families also owned the other two ice cream parlors, the F.B. Elwood Drug Co. and Samson’s Ice Cream and Confections Shop.

One man who originally made his way west with John Fosselman’s grandfather was Leo Anderson. The two parted ways, though, in Southern California, eventually running competing ice cream parlors. Leo’s was located where the new Volkswagen Dealership recently opened, and across the street from the current Fosselman’s. Norman Rockwell, a winter resident of Alhambra in the 1930s and 40s, frequented this soda fountain and Leo's Ice Cream Parlor, and its “soda jerks,” or servers of ice cream sodas, may have been the inspiration for many of his Saturday Evening Post covers that featured ice cream parlor-themed paintings.

One of those soda jerks was Tom Shea, 76, who worked at Leo’s as a high school student in the 1940s. “People that wanted good ice cream came to Alhambra,” he said. Shea, who now works at the Chamber of Commerce, remembers fondly the huge counter top at Leo’s crowded with eager customers and days where they would go out and pick fresh flats of strawberries to make toppings.

Today, Shea can be found many hot afternoons (and not so hot ones) across the street at Fosselman’s, licking favorites such as chocolate raspberry mouse, fresh peach or something seasonal like blueberry or strawberry in a sugar cone.
This family owned and operated business has been a fixture for the last 91 years, with a retail store on Main Street since 1941.

On a recent hot afternoon, John Fosselman was working behind a busy counter when Shea walked in for his weekly ice cream fix.

Fosselman welcomed him with a friendly groan and a special batch of fresh licorice ice cream.

While the ice cream making tradition has remained constant at Fosselman’s, the flavors have changed to fit a shifting Alhambra. “We have dulce de leche, which has more of a Latin flavor; we also do sweet corn during Cinco de Mayo,” Fosselman said. Asian flavors include lychee, ginger, matcha, yuzu and taro — one of the best sellers. “We learn how to do all this from our customers who walk into the store or chefs we deal with,” Fosselman said. “So I guess you can say it keeps us on our toes to say the least.”

Posts from the Past is brought to you by Alhambra Preservation Group – a non-profit organization working to identify, protect and celebrate Alhambra’s historical, architectural and cultural resources through education, advocacy and awareness-building programs. Visit us at www.AlhambraPreservation.org.

Location

1824 West Main Street

Alhambra, CA

United States

34° 5' 28.8276" N, 118° 8' 38.1084" W

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Alhambra launches an Art Walk of its own

daniela.gerson — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:10:03 +0000

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May 3, 2012

Downtown LA has one, so does Venice, Culver City, Silver Lake and South Pasadena. And starting Friday night, so too will Alhambra. From five to eight pm the city will host its first Mosaic Monthly Art Walk, where local artists, musicians, and vendors will display their skills and wares at the intersection of Garfield Avenue and Main Street.

Friday night's artistic line up includes henna body art, live painting, photo buttons and "car art." (Alhambra Source will also be out silkscreening our t-shirts and with prints from some of our articles. If you come out, be sure to say hi).

Don't expect the food trucks of the other art walks — at least not yet. For now, the Downtown Business Association, which is sponsoring the event, hopes visitors will eat at local restaurants. Proceeds go to the entretainment fund to support other events such as the summer cultural series, the "Hot Spot," Hallowscreem, and the upcoming Cinco De Mayo mariachi players.

"The Mosaic Art Walk will be an inviting, all ages, family friendly night out and relaxing evening," organizer Joanna Vargas said. She encouraged people interested in getting involved to sponsor a vendor booth, showcase their art work, perform if they're in a band, help spread the word, and, of course, "visit the Art Walk and support our artists."

Alhambra proposed fireworks ban draws protest

Jessman — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:41:43 +0000

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May 2, 2012

Alhambra organizations came out in force to object to a ban on the sale of fireworks that was considered at a City Council meeting on Monday evening.

Eileen Flores, a 20-year-Alhambra resident and Alhambra High School band coordinator, spoke for many when she said that the firework stands are a major fundraising opportunity for non-profit groups, ranging from the Knights of Columbus, Little League, to high school football and wrestling programs. Representatives of these groups said that selling fireworks contributed 50 – 85% of their annual budget, and that its absence would jeopardize programs and equipment for area youth.

Mayor Luis Ayala was perplexed at how so many organizations could be so dependent on the sale of fireworks. Some cited the recession from 2008 as an ongoing reason, as parents have less disposable income to spend on activities for their children. Others said the traditional fundraisers of selling chocolates don’t work as well as they used to, and they often don’t raise enough funds needed to run the youth programs.

Councilman Gary Yamauchi said that he felt that the presentations only represented one side of the issue, and wanted to hear from those who have complained to him about safety and noise issues. City Manager Julio Fuentes, after assuring that no action would be taken impacting this year’s fireworks booths, proposed a full-level discussion on this issue in the summer (promoted through all available local media outlets). Councilman Steven Placido emphasized the need for both sides to be present at that meeting, and invited all the organizations in the room to come back.

“To be continued,” said Mayor Ayala.

Paying at the pump to deliver flowers to Alhambra

Brianne Walker — Wed, 02 May 2012 16:09:44 +0000

Release Date:

May 2, 2012

Just before dawn, Mary Tang drives from Alhambra to the Downtown Los Angeles Flower Mart to pick up hydrangeas, roses and baby's breath. Navigating by memory through the organized sections of the Mart, Tang stops at her usual vendors. She performs a quality check while selecting flowers – examining the flowers' stems, leaves and petals – to make sure she has the best for her customers.

That trip, which she takes three to four times a week, got a lot more expensive within the past year. About 50 percent of Tang's profits now are used to pay for gas — money straight out of her pocket.

A four-year high in gasoline prices is squeezing the profits of small, mobile businesses that were barely breaking even in the first place. For Tang, who is owner of Main Street’s The Daily Blossom Florist, increased gas expenses drive deeper into her delivery fees.

“The little profit that I do make has to cover the gas prices,” said Tang, who runs the business by herself.The average price of gas in California is $4.15, about 35 cents higher than the national average, according to GasBuddy.com, a website where volunteer "pricespotters" report gas prices. Peter DeHaan, a senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.com, said the averages for both Los Angeles and the nation this spring were “the highest prices we've ever seen.”

Not only that, but they will likely remain high through the summer. “I don't believe that gas prices will ever return to the $1 or $2 days unless there's a recession,” DeHaan added.Tang is feeling the impact. She said finances were already tough since she took out loans from her family and friends to take over ownership of the Alhambra shop in August 2011. She may have to start charging for local deliveries and has already taken to using her car instead of the company van which uses up more gasoline.

But despite the challenges, within the next year Tang hopes to expand the business. She wants to employ family members, re-vamp the current website, develop an app for her shop and incorporate her hobby of creating party favors into her business. Uncertain economy, notwithstanding, she says she has no regrets: “I am living my passion."

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