Standing in the shadow of the University’s Vista La Verne residence hall, the Fruit Exchange Building is chained and derelict. In 1920, during the height of the citrus empire, it was built near a main entrance to La Verne to be a “showplace building.” / photo by Kelley Maggiulli

by Alex Forbess
photography by Kelley Maggiulli

The building stands forlornly now, its better years just a memory of a once golden time in La Verne, of a citrus empire that had its heart within its walls. Now, it stands as an eyesore—chained up, beaten, surrounded by ivy vines. Nature is in control here, pulling it away. But the memory is there of this once proud headquarters of the co-op—the La Verne Fruit Exchange building. Until the mid 1900s, the structure was center stage for one of the most powerful citrus organizations in Southern California. Now, the University of La Verne plans to demolish the building in 2013, hoping for better use of the land on the corner of Arrow Highway and D Street. The plan, says ULV’s Clive Houston-Brown, associate vice president of the Facility and Technology Services Department, calls for recreational space plus landscape design that he says will make for a great entry way for downtown La Verne.

Although the city of La Verne granted the University permission to demolish the building in 2006—when the ULV Master Plan was approved—the building still stubbornly remains, surrounded by debris from the Vista La Verne Residence Hall construction. Students reside in their new home feet away, and Chip West, senior director of central services and capital planning, says, “The perfect use of the land is to repurpose it for recreation.” He cites consensual support from the Athletics, Movement and Sports Science and Student Affairs departments, including senior management. Proponents for the building’s demolition say the structure had a long run. Following its half century as the citrus headquarters, the University gained ownership, and it served as departmental headquarters for speech, organizational leadership and, most recently, as a construction hub for the residence hall. For them, the building now lacks a future purpose. “It is an old, disgusting building that should have been taken down years ago,” West says.

Nevertheless, the building has its friends. Galen Beery, president of the La Verne Historical Society, believes this building has a viable future and hopes the University reconsiders. “There are some buildings that are worth saving, and the LV Fruit Exchange is one of them,” Beery says. “It has class.” In principle, the city of La Verne agrees. When the University offered to sell it to them during a Council meeting, Oct. 17, 2011, Hal G. Frederickson, community development director, said he had evaluated the structure to see whether it was worth saving. His answer: “Yes, but it will be very costly. There are so many issues with this building.” Adds Frederickson, “There are ADA [American Disability Act] deficiencies, and the lead paint has to be removed if this building were in public use.” The director estimates the renovation cost to get the La Verne Fruit Exchange to a habitable form would center on $500,000.

Shattered dreams

Beery steps back from the emotions related to the Oct. 17 Council meeting and sighs. “Every time a building gets demolished is another loss for the history of La Verne.” He believes that the building would be great as the new city of La Verne Chamber of Commerce, let alone as a museum displaying La Verne’s many artifacts that showcase the city’s history. Those artifacts are collecting dust in his house—so much La Verne history, now crammed into his small house and a storage facility nearby. He is a one-man depository for the city’s history. Just one corner of his house displays four original smudge pots, a handmade wooden butter paddle, cups and saucers with the orange motif, four silver trophies awarded for agricultural displays from the Los Angeles County Fair dating back to the 1920s; there is much, much more. “If this building is torn, no one now will know what it was,” Beery says. “It will just be an old picture.” Defeated from negotiating, Beery walked out of that October 2011 Council meeting only imagining what the University’s future plans were for the La Verne Fruit Exchange. At first, he never assumed the worst. He recalls that Frederickson rushed toward him after the meeting, telling him the city wished this building could be saved. “I was surprised,” Beery says. “Hal met me after and said, ‘I agree with you, but there is no money.’” Beery sadly acknowledges that the city’s loss of redevelopment funds sealed the building’s fate. In 2009, the state faced more than $20 billion in budget problems—debt—that was addressed with Gov. Jerry Brown’s February 2012 disbanding of city redevelopment agencies. Even though the city leaders thought they could raise restoration money before Brown’s act took place, the effort ended with disappointment. “That was our funding source for historical preservation,” Frederickson says. “After that announcement was made, the details to save that building disappeared. If we had all the money needed, the project would have been a reality.” Frederickson says the alternative is to raise renovation money through the allocation of general funds that support public services such as the Police and Fire departments. Frederickson knew this was untenable. “It would have been wonderful to preserve as a companion piece,” Frederickson says. “I wish we could have saved it because it has a lot of history. We had every intention, and I am glad that we tried.”

The La Verne Fruit Exchange was slated to be demolished before the fall 2012 semester started. But the execution of that plan was postponed because of the Vista construction. “The construction of Vista bought that building another year or two,” Frederickson says. With the city helpless, the fate of the LV Fruit Exchange rests on the University. Early suggestions for reuse included renovation into a classroom structure as a companion to the old Peyton lemon packing house directly across the street, which was newly reborn in 2000 as the Arts and Communications Building. Precedent for renovation also includes another renovated orange packing house that holds the University’s Central Service and Regional Campus Administration headquarters on the corner of E and First streets. The University has restored many of its old buildings, including, most recently, its century old Hanawalt House, which served as a president’s house for early-era administrators.

ULV’s mission: out with the old

The University has wanted to expand for quite some time, which is captured in its city approved master plan. University administrators are focused on accommodating the growing needs of the University, which saw an enrollment spike to 2,400 plus undergraduate students fall semester 2012. “This plan shows our intent of what we will do with the land,” Houston-Brown says. Indeed, the University has been on a tear recently, replacing the old with the new as it looks to its future. Recent casualties include its old gym, razed for Campus Center construction in 2007, and its historic Ben Hines Baseball Field, bulldozed summer 2011 and paved over as parking lot “D.” Now its attention is focused on the LV Fruit Exchange. Tentative plans call for a basketball court on one corner, a volleyball court on another other, a few patches of grass and a barbecue pit. “Our vision was to have it [the land] as a recreational space for our students,” says Loretta Rahmani, dean of student affairs. “We were searching for a place where students can have a pick-up game.” The Movement and Sports Science Department endorses the idea of recreational space. “We are gridlocked, and we have to maximize with what we have,” says Paul Alvarez, athletic training and education program director, adding, “MSS is not just to be taught in class. The field is our laboratory.” Athletic Director Julie Kline believes also that having a general recreational space will bring several benefits to the University. “This can serve as a point of engagement for our students,” Kline says. “Students are into fitness and health now more than ever.”

West says the building is doomed for other reasons. “It is reinforced with unreinforced masonry block. If an earthquake were to occur, that building will be the first to go. It is not structurally safe.” He notes that the building contains high levels of asbestos, a common building material until 1989, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Asbestos can cause lung disease and ultimately cancer if inhaled over time. However, when properly contained, asbestos risk is reduced. Because of the heightened asbestos danger in the building, West says he advocated for the Educational Administration faculty and staff removal about two years ago to their new home in Leo Hall on the corner of D and Second streets.

Beery does not believe this is an excuse for the University to tear down a piece of history. From his experience, he says that asbestos can be contained with a flick from the wrist. “We can put a layer of sealant paint to further contain it,” Beery says. With the amount of asbestos in the La Verne Fruit Exchange, West says more extreme measures need to be taken by professionals. However, the University has used containment measures in its historical buildings, including Founders Hall. For example, the wall tile in the Founders Hall faculty office of Richard Gelm, professor of political science, is encapsulated with a thin coating that holds the asbestos in check. “Even with this coating, you can still see the tiles as if they are popping out,” he says. “I prefer the asbestos not being here, but I am not losing sleep over it,” Gelm says. Abatement, a treatment that rids or controls asbestos, is the norm in some University buildings. West says the University has continuously been removing asbestos from Founders Hall, which is costly.

As for possible building renovation of the La Verne Fruit Exchange Building, West says, “The University intends not to throw money on that dump. We want to maximize every dollar of the student’s tuition.” Plans call for the building’s demolition fall 2013. Just to raze the building is costly. West says asbestos removal before demolition is $30,000. Actual demolition will add another $50,000. Additional costs will come with other environmental fees.

Beery believes the structure still has potential and could be saved if the University deeded it to the Historical Society. He feels he could raise the funds and garner community support to resurrect it both as a museum and as a future Chamber of Commerce site. West’s response, “Has he actually stepped in that building?” Inside the building, one has to squint hard to see a future. Construction debris and hard helmets litter the floor. Copper from the exposed wires and the electrical circuits captures the eye. West utters disgust at the building’s condition and scuffs at any future use for the University, let alone for the city. To him, this is just an empty tomb. West says the University plans to move forward. He wonders why the University is thought of as a power-grabbing giant. “Why do people think, ‘Oh, [the University] has this power, and they will demolish everything,’” West says. “We have saved more buildings than demolished. Everyone had this dream that this would be a great building,” West says. “That will never be.”

In need of a makeover, the Fruit Exchange Building has fallen far from its best days. An inside peek reveals peeling wallpaper and exposed wires.The area near the door frame was once a patio area but is now an extension to the building. / photo by Kelley Maggiulli

‘Built to be a showplace’

photo by Kelley Maggiulli

Galen Beery, city of La Verne historian, in his heart has not given up his repurposing plans for the historic former Fruit Exchange structure. Where some may see an old failing building, he sees the vision of a 93-year-old structure capturing the glory years of the La Verne Orange Association and Lemon Growers Association. The city of La Verne was once a citrus utopia, the stage for one of the most successful and prestigious citrus industries in California. They wanted a headquarters building that matched that prestige. The organization’s initial leadership met and brainstormed on where the headquarters should be placed: ”somewhere convenient, nearby and prominent.” Historical records also note that the Fruit Exchange building was deliberately placed near a main entrance to downtown La Verne because this was to be a “showplace building.” They found their place on the north side of the rail tracks at Arrow Highway and D Street. In 1920, the La Verne Fruit Exchange Building was constructed. The book, “The History of Pomona Valley,” recounts a review of the building. “This building was built to the highest prestige. The [La Verne Fruit Exchange Building] contains four handsome rooms with a large directors room in connection. The mission style has been followed in the architecture, the building being constructed of brick, plastered covered over. In the interior the woodwork is of mahogany. D.G. Arbuthnot, manager of the La Verne Association, is highly pleased with the new building.”

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Surveying the possibilities of making a house into a home, Board Committee members Paul Moseley, Margaret Sedenquist and Michael Abraham visit the Kuns House with President Devorah Lieberman. The committee is charged with making arrangements for development and renovation while preserving the home’s history. / photo by Pablo Cabrera

by Amanda Nieto
photography by Pablo Cabrera

Surrounding the square block perimeter of Kuns Park are grand houses, monuments actually, that tell of a different time. Their style and level of beauty unite a neighborhood culture. Each house shines as a proud testament of the owners who work to keep up their appearances; yet, on Magnolia Avenue, there is one house not in step with the others. There is irony in this, given that this house was the first on the block and the home of an early La Verne leader. On the corner of Fifth Street and Magnolia Avenue is the Kuns house, a home that has fallen far from its grandeur. Cobwebs, dust and dirt are caked on its outer walls; its faded yellow hue holds a sad gray tinge. Dirt patches and dead leaves abide in the front yard. A house peak window is boarded up with a stained plywood scrap. The house was built in 1911, and, 101 years later, it is in need of a makeover. Luckily for the Kuns house, University of La Verne President Devorah Lieberman is looking for a place to call home.

“I felt it could be perfect if it didn’t have any asbestos, mold, dry rot, cracked foundation or structural problems; if the chimneys weren’t falling off the sides of the house,” Lieberman says. Her doubt of the house and fears for it being restored to its former glory dissipated once she saw the historical plaque located on the right corner of the property that pays homage to its original creator. Henry Le Bosquette Kuns built the house as a place for his retirement. He was a realtor by trade and knew how to turn land into a profit. After moving to then Lordsburg in 1892, Kuns bought 18 acres of property. With his new land, he built a hotel that would later be known as the David and Margaret Home for Children. He was president of the First National Bank as well as a member of the Lordsburg Academy Board of Trustees from 1905 to 1908. Kuns was an experienced rancher and the mayor of Lordsburg in 1911. He was also the son of David Kuns, one of the four founders of Lordsburg Academy, now known as the University of La Verne.

In 1890, brothers David and Henry Kuns were among the first to settle in Lordsburg. The next year, they were one of the famous “Dunkards” who established the La Verne Church of the Brethren. Lordsburg Academy came into existence that same year. The Kuns family would later further their investments in the Academy by becoming trustee members and donating a significant amount of time and money.

Henry L. Kuns learned from his father and uncle the benefits of a wise business adventure. With his own successful business experience, he was recognized as a leader in financial affairs. As Lordsburg mayor, Kuns made a push to plant trees and highways. Under his term, a highway was built from the west city limits to connect with Pomona, and from Foothill Boulevard to the Pacific Electric Railway and Station to the south.

After Kuns’ death in 1930, property tax bills were left to heirs who were not willing to ante up. In 1938, the Kuns house and park were sold at auction for $200 to the city. Walker W. Downs was the city attorney and secretary of the La Verne Chamber of Commerce when he bid $20 more than the highest bidder from Los Angeles. In 1939, La Verne made it official, purchasing its second official park and in the process acquired what is now recognized as the oldest tree in the city. Kuns planted the Carob tree in 1910 in the northeast section of the park. The same year that the Carob tree found itself in fresh soil also saw the start of the Kuns house foundation. The home is built on a 14,520 square foot lot; 3,962 square feet of that space was used to design a visual Craftsman delight with seven bedrooms, two bathrooms and two fireplaces. The generous front porch alludes to the warm summer evenings Kuns and his family enjoyed while they harmonized with park-like entertainment. The romance of its history takes present day visitors back to its glory days when it sparkled with pride and set the aesthetic standards for many La Verne homes to come.

A weathered present

In present day, the house hides its beauty behind rotting wood and a veil of spider webs. The porch that once hosted family gatherings now entertains creatures of the night. The concrete walkway that leads to the porch is cracked, covered with crunchy leaves and fallen twigs. On the porch a stray black and gray stripped cat warily watches from a ragged red velvet recliner chair. Gray river rock makes up the house foundation. The stone porch displays a gap where broken and misshapen stones now cling. To the left of the porch is a three-dimensional letter “K” that is built into the stone foundation. Stone fireplaces on the north and south sides lean away from the walls, perhaps in hopes of creating distance from the stubborn mess. The remains of a once blooming garden face Fifth Street. Unkempt rose bushes, randomly scattered, persist. There are no flowers now; only a few resilient leaves that refuse to be chased away. An unraveled hose slithers through the dead garden and teases the parched plants with the possibility of a few drops of water that will not come. A slanting bench welcomes visitors with a seat full of stinging splinters.

After Kuns’ death, the house was sold from one family to another and most recently belonged to Donald Hauser, former owner of the Coin Depot on D Street and an ambitious collector of all things antique. Clive Houston-Brown, ULV associate vice president of facility and technology services, says University Advancement representatives early on spoke with Hauser, hoping he would sell. However, he declined the offer and continued to use the house for storing his overflowing artifact collection that did not fit in his store. Hauser died in early March 2012, which put the historic house on the market. “If you look at it, it really hasn’t been taken care of for such a long time, and it’s so sad,” says Don Kendrick, La Verne mayor and owner of Don Kendrick Real Estate. He says when President Lieberman was first touring city areas surrounding the University, he told her that the Kuns house could be converted into the perfect president’s home if one was not going to be built. “As soon as Don Hauser died, I called the University, and I said you need to get on this if this is the home that you want.” The timing coincided with the University’s search for a president’s home, which began in earnest in late 2011 as a Board of Trustees initiated idea. Since, the project has grown with funds made possible by donors apart of the Board. Houston-Brown says that Lieberman specifically wanted a house in La Verne. Through the process of looking, many houses were considered; however, the space to host events and the parking necessary were not two factors that correlated. “This house was attractive because of its location next to the park and its space for events and parking,” says Houston-Brown. Another plus that made it a choice for the president: its short distance to the University. “Ideally, a president’s residence should be on, next to or very close to campus so when the Board asked me what I would see, my answer was I want to be close enough to campus that students can walk over to the house,” Lieberman says. “I want to be in close enough proximity that the students feel that the president’s home is an extension of the campus. That is the critical element for me because it shows a commitment.”

Peggy Redman, professor of education and director of the La Verne Experience, says the purchase of the Kuns House serves as a link between the city and the University. “It is a commitment to the city and University being compatible, and the Kuns House is just one more way that shows this.” The president’s house will serve as an appropriate place for the hosting of special events as well as being a comfortable dwelling for its residents. Redman says that it is an interesting bridge between the house and University. Henry Kuns, a trustee member, built a house that will now be a part of the institution his father helped to create. “It’s come full circle; I’m going to be living in the home of the people who were founders of our original Lordsburg Academy,” Lieberman says.

As of September 2012, architects were walking the property and bidding for the historic renovation. Their assessment plans are being considered by University officials, with anticipated construction set to start between April and May of 2013. An expected completion date is set for December 2014. “The house is in poor shape structurally,” says Houston-Brown. “Modifications have to be done that maintain the look and feel of the house.”

The University’s restoration efforts are being carefully watched by Galen Beery, president of the La Verne Historical Society. He notes that the Kuns house sports a bronze marker that designates it as a significant La Verne structure. “You can restore a house without tearing it down and starting over,” says Beery. “That one [Kuns house] is worthy of being restored, but they [ULV] may not think of that.” Answers Houston-Brown, “We have to work very closely with the city. The University gives plans, and the city gives guidelines. We have to be very strong partners in this because the city realizes that without an entity like the University, the house probably wouldn’t be renovated close to what we’re going to do.” While the house is recognized as a La Verne historic house, it is not listed on the historical registry, which means no permits are requested by the city that are out of the ordinary. Kendrick says the city is not concerned with the University keeping the integrity of the home throughout the restoration process. “I know it will be a pride of ownership property,” Kendrick says. “In the neighborhood, Kuns park is the most heavily used park in the city of La Verne, and right across the street is going to be a very significant looking home that is the president’s home for the University of La Verne.” Says Houston-Brown, “In the end it’s going to be a stunning house that will maintain the look and feel of the city and the house’s structure.” However, Beery says that minor differences from the house’s original construction, such as the type of materials used to restore a structure, take away from its authenticity if not done with care. “It’s like taking the body of a Mercedes and putting it on the frame of a Volkswagen,” he says.

On its campus, the University, with its historic buildings, has a record of fostering the spirit and architecture of the past with its ambitions for the future. University officials say restoration of the Kuns house for President Lieberman contributes toward bringing the city’s legacy into the University’s future. “It’s a crucial little turning point in the history of the house,” says Beery. “An older house and older institution is interesting; it feels right to have that connection,” says Redman.

Once the proud home of Henry L. Kuns, son of David Kuns, a founder of Lordsburg Academy, the Kuns house now stands in need of internal and external repair before President Devorah Lieberman can move in. The house is a historic landmark, as established by the city of La Verne. / photo by Pablo Cabrera

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by Jason D. Cox
photography by Brittney Slater-Shew

Ken McKinley

Standing four stories tall (more than 50 feet), Vista La Verne is being called the tallest building in the city of La Verne. Come fall 2012, it will be the place 378 University of La Verne students will call home. Units will house up to six students and will be a leap forward in comfort and entertainment technology. The first floor will house 59 students, the second, third and fourth floors will respectively each hold 106 students. On every floor of Vista La Verne, students will enjoy access to study rooms and computer labs, each filled with cutting edge equipment.

With the word out about the amenities and thoughtful attention given to convenience and comfort for student residents, Vista La Verne filled up quickly for fall. But filling the residence hall was the easy part. More difficult will be filling the free time of college students when they are not preoccupied with academic responsibilities.

Judy Moore

With hundreds of new student residents coming in September, merchants in Old Town La Verne are giving serious thought to this challenge. Some are optimistic; others are anxious, but they all realize that the dynamic of Old Town will be severely rocked, whether it is ready or not.

Ken McKinley (above), a manager at T. Phillips Alehouse and Grill, is concerned about the impact a wave of new students might have on the parking situation of Old Town but can see the brighter side. The demographic of the area is changing, but Ken says, in the end, “it’ll help the city of La Verne and will positively affect the restaurant.”

Judy Moore, co-owner of Café Cabo, has a sunny outlook on the promise of more students in Old Town. “I think we’re all excited,” Judy says. “The life they’re going to bring is going to be fabulous, and I think we need that. The students will be great for business.”

Brian McNerney

Brian McNerney, president and CEO of La Verne’s Chamber of Commerce, says, “One advantage is that students can walk to wherever they need to go. The problem is that whenever you bring that many humans together into one area, they bring their cars.”

While there may be some challenges ahead for residents and merchants in Old Town, the overall effect looks likely to be positive. “Any time there is growth in the population, it helps the economy,” Brian says.

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At home in her store, Joann Lammens started Gina T Interior Accents 26 years ago, operating at first from her parents’ garage. She now owns two successful stores in Old Town La Verne, naming both businesses after her daughter Gina.

by Cheryl Regan
photography by Brittney Slater-Shew

Her business started in her parents’ garage with florals, trees and wreaths. Her hard work paid off, for now, with two thriving businesses in downtown La Verne, Joann Lammens, owner of Gina T Interior Accents and Gina T Home, looks back on 26 successful years of interior design. Joann’s businesses continue to thrive because of her hands-on attention to detail and stylish design. She not only performs interior home designs in La Verne and surrounding communities; she also is an acclaimed designer of office buildings, banks, hotel lobbies, restaurants and weddings. Her artistic interpretation is sought nationally and throughout the world and includes stops in Dallas, New York City, Paris and Bangladesh.

Joann started Gina T with basically no up-front money while tending to infant daughter Gina, after whom she named her stores. Her journey began with design studies at Mt. San Antonio College, while co-owning Barney’s and One West California, both restaurants in Pasadena. Weary of the restaurant business, Joann sought a new career role in interior design. Her design friends told her that many outlets offered new furniture and flooring, but there were very few businesses that offered high-end floral arrangements and trees to accent and accessorize their work. This is where Joann found her niche, and, at first, it was not easy. She was repeatedly turned down by vendors. “Finally I found someone who would sell to me because he was tired of taking my phone calls everyday,” Joann says. “I guaranteed him that I would be in business with him for at least five years.”

After scrounging up start up money, Joann went straight to work. At this time, she was a single mom living with her parents. While daughter Gina napped, she assembled her flower arrangements in the garage. “I put my floral arrangements together when she was down, and when she woke up, I would stop. When she went back down again, I would start again.” Over time, Joann began to gain more business, which meant more shipments and more deliveries to her home. “Neighbors started to complain that delivery trucks were always dropping things off at my house, so the city of La Verne strongly suggested I find a store to continue my business.” That is when Joann launched her current Gina T location on Bonita Avenue in old town La Verne. “The first seven or eight years were rough,” she remembers. “I knew that it was going to be difficult, but I also knew if I just stuck with it, I could do it.” At first, Joann rented the store, but when the building owner told her he was selling, Joann bought it outright. “He came up to me and asked whether I wanted to buy it, and I knew that I didn’t want to go anywhere, so I bought it.”

Giving philanthropist

When daughter Gina started at Bonita High School in 2000, Joann noticed how little money was saved for the graduating class Grad Night. She stepped in and started a La Verne Home Tour to raise money for Gina’s Grad Night. She decorated all of the homes in the tour; people then bought tickets to tour the homes—all adorned in their festive Christmas decorations, provided by Gina T. “I knew that a Home Tour would be a good thing to do because I had been involved with them in other surrounding cities,” Joann says. “I also knew that this would raise a lot of money in a little amount of time.” After the first year of the successful Home Tour, she helped raise money for the graduating classes for eight years up until 2010 when Bonita High School stopped hosting the Home Tour. Daughter Gina is now a graduate from California State University, San Diego, and is actively engaged in Ph.D. studies in psychology at Loyola Marymount University. Joann’s own life changed in 1998 when she married Dave Lammens, who owns D&J Electric in La Verne. “Dave and I met when he came to my store to install a security system,” Joann says. “And we have been together ever since.”

Joann opened, in 2005, her second store, Gina T Home, on D Street in downtown La Verne. Gina T Home differs from the Bonita Avenue store and features Gina T’s signature home style. “For awhile, the Bonita store carried the D Street store; now it’s really taking off on its own,” she says. With the opening, the original Bonita Avenue store features seasonal holiday accessories while the new store captures everyday home decor. Her patrons call that look warm, embracing, stylish, classic, but Joann summarizes her style best. “The look is finished. From every bookend, candleholder, to the florals, to the trees, everything is exactly where it should be placed. When someone says that Gina T has been here, that means that it’s 100 percent finished.” This is what Joann emphasizes; she makes sure that everything looks perfectly in place. “We will never just sell you a piece of furniture. To make sure that it enhances your home, we go look at the space, photograph it, measure the space and graph it out.” She has many long-time customers. Relationships quickly developed. She is known for treating her clients as if they are family.

Joann the artist

Joann lives in a world of fantasy, myth and legend. From the Romans and Greeks to the world of elves and Santas, it is a very different world in each of her stores. During the holiday season, Gina T Interior Accents immerses shop visitors with the Christmas spirit. From wreaths, trees and ornaments; it’s like Santa’s village the moment a person walks in. All year long, Gina T Home carries a wild variety of mythical pieces that bring a room to life. The store displays just a sample of Joann’s vivid imagination. She can see a photograph and visualize actuality. People often send her room measurements with desired details; she takes it from there and performs artistic designs without a physical presence—sometimes from thousands of miles away. She says her clients rave at the results.

Joann has recently found a different design venture: weddings. Featured are her signature designs for everything from the centerpieces to altars. “Joann did my flowers for my wedding [at the Hyatt at Huntington Beach], and I could not have been happier with her,” says Danielle Gallinger, a University of La Verne Law School student. “I told her my vision, and she executed it perfectly.” Adds Kasey Scroggins, a University of La Verne alumnus, “I have dreamed about my wedding ever since I was a little girl, and Joann made that dream come true with the arrangements she made for my wedding day.” Joann says she gains her inspiration from life experiences. While in Napa, Calif., she had an inspirational design flash for an underground wine cellar. She designed the whole cellar on a beverage napkin. “I came up with the design while enjoying my nice glass of red wine at the Del Dotto Winery in Napa Valley. I pictured every little detail right there.”

If a client hires Joann as an interior designer, her appointment will most likely not take place until six weeks later because of her high demand. And while she loves to work with red, brown and gold colors, she prides herself in designing whatever excites her clients. “One of the first things I say when walking into people’s homes is, ‘Tell me where your heart is, what colors make you comfortable when you’re surrounded by them; tell me where you were last that really got you excited by the colors you saw.’” Despite Joann knowing the best look for a client’s home, she will never impose her style preference. “My job is to guide the client; I always go 100 percent in their direction.” She is one who sweats the finer details for her clients.

Joann has inspired associates. Ariel Moul, a 12-year employee, says she looks forward to walking into work with myriad tasks on her to-do list. “I just love what I do; everyday I have something new going on.” Her favorite task is designing. “I love the concept of starting from scratch, then walking out of a beautiful room that is complete.” Myranda Snapp is also empowered by her work. “Everyday is something new.” She says her job continues to be exciting after four years. “Joann keeps us on our toes because we are doing so much. If we aren’t doing client work, then we are doing retail work for one of the stores.”

Joann is still learning new things. “Just because I’ve been doing this forever doesn’t mean I know everything. I get excited every time I see something new or find something that we can bring to our clients and our design.” She travels to trade shows regularly. “I am always looking for what is the new trend or new inspirations that I can bring back with my design.”

Even the depressed economy has not dampened her enthusiasm. But she has noticed designers going out of business. “We have definitely have seen a change in business, but we are so grateful to be in the position we are in right now. We are thankful to have our beloved clients who keep coming back to our stores.” As for her thriving interior design business, Joann says, “We are in La Verne to stay; we aren’t going anywhere.”

The Christmas spirit is front and center at Gina T Interior Accents. With distinctive snowmen, Santas and elves galore, it is hard not to be in the holiday spirit with the wide assortment of decorations.

Joann’s Favorite Design Tips

1. Don’t be afraid to color a room.

2. Step away from the white and beige and into some color. Texture in a room is very important. Make sure you mix smooth textures with rough textures.

3. Your powder room is the smallest room in your home but should be the most interesting because that is where your guests always go. If you want the “wow” factor, then go for it.

4. You might have the most beautiful furniture in a room, but the room is not finished until you have the right accessories to add to it.

5. Make sure you and your guests are comfortable.

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Pulling up to the Peyton packing house on D and First streets, a horse-drawn wagon carries the day’s lemon harvest in 1918. In present day, the building is the University’s Arts and Communications Building. / photo illustration by Christopher Guzman

by Kristen Campbell
photography by Christopher Guzman

The historical senses can still see and hear horse-drawn wagons arriving at La Verne’s packinghouses to drop off freshly picked citrus. Steam trains come to a rumbling halt to pick up shipments to be sent on their world journeys. In the present time, these buildings are now known for the quality educational pursuits that take place inside their walls. Nearly lost, except to the mind’s eye, is their international fame for packing quality citrus that was sent to far-off lands, even to the Queen of England.

Hard-learned lessons brought La Verne to the citrus forefront. In 1894, the first shipment of La Verne oranges sent to New York arrived rotten and covered in blue-green mold. The leaders of the fledgling citrus industry had much to learn to swiftly get their quality product into the hands of an eager public. Although there were packinghouses in San Dimas and Pomona, La Verne rancher Marcus L. Sparks decided to save money and precious time by doing his own packing and shipping. He hired Chinese workers, and they worked on the platform of the La Verne railway station. Sparks persisted and, by trial and error, developed proper methods of packing and shipping so those on the receiving end would get a salable product. Soon, he built two packinghouses near his groves; one on the SW corner of D and First streets (see map 2), and the second at the SE corner of E and First streets (see map 4). His prime location land

began to gain value, and he started selling his orange groves to industrialization companies wanting to be near the railroad. By 1909, he had sold his citrus and packinghouses to the budding La Verne Orange Growers Association. Sparks may have been turning away from citrus, but the La Verne citrus empire was just blossoming. The D and First streets packinghouse (map 2) was expanded and named the La Verne Orange and Lemon Growers Association Packinghouse. This large wooden structure was in use until the 1960s when it was demolished, and citrus operations moved to Upland.

Citrus structures still standing

Marcus Sparks built a co-op headquarters in 1919 on the SW corner of First and D streets (map 1). It still stands today as a University of La Verne Organizational Leadership building (soon to be converted into the new home of the La Verne Chamber of Commerce). His E and First streets packinghouse was rebuilt with reinforced concrete and was named the La Verne Orange Association Plant Number 2 (map 4). The oranges were marketed under the Sunkist brand for 40 years. This packinghouse provided the association with ice-making capabilities as well as room in the basement for box-making, leaving the main floor clear for orange packing. Today it houses the University’s Enrollment Management, Mail Services and Facilities Management.

Valentine Peyton, another prominent orange grower, also had a privately-owned packinghouse (map 3) directly across the street from Sparks’ (now demolished) house (map 2). Once the Association acquired Sparks’ properties, it expanded its operation to handle lemons. When Peyton sold his packinghouse in 1914, the name of the group was changed to the La Verne Orange and Lemon Growers Association. By fall 1918, lemon and orange house packing had increased to more than the packinghouse’s capacities, so the Peyton building was expanded. Even in the midst of the Great Depression, the Association saw the shipment of more than 1,700 carloads of fruit. In 1960, the former Peyton lemon packinghouse was closed and the laborers were moved to Upland. The last Upland packinghouse was razed in 2002. “It seemed almost overnight the packing of oranges shifted from 10 or 15 area houses down to just one in Upland because it was cheaper,” Galen Beery, La Verne city historian, says.

After Peyton’s fruit trees were uprooted and replaced with homes, his packinghouse (map 3) stood empty or was used as a warehouse for three decades until the University of La Verne acquired it in 1988. With structural and minor remodeling, the University used the property for warehousing and storage. In the mid-1990s, additional remodeling converted the main floor into the University’s Art Department and the basement into U.L.V. Graphics, a printing company then owned by the school. Around the same time, murals reminiscent of La Verne being the heart of the citrus industry were painted on its south side. The building’s transformation came in 2000 when Claremont Environmental Design Group turned the aging building into an Art and Communications building. Today, its massive front wall of glass provides light for art studio classes on the main floor. The building is simultaneously utilized by the Communications Department, housing television, radio, multimedia and print journalism areas. The remodel shows off its ducts and metal features and reminds visitors that the building was born as a packinghouse. Those who walk into the building find it constantly alive with students engaging in studio and production activities. The still-rumbling trains are a reminder that its historic close railway location was meant to facilitate citrus loading ease.

How citrus made a name for La Verne

The year was 1873 when the United States Department of Agriculture sent, at the request of Riverside resident Eliza Tibbets, two budded Washington navel orange trees. Unfortunately, the land where she planted the trees was low, water would not drain, and the trees’ roots literally drowned. But from failure came success: her two orange trees would be the beginning of an industry that would define a city and a region. In 1886, Mr. and Mrs. L.H. Bixby and Dr. and Mrs. Lyman Allen, Mrs. Bixby’s brother-in-law and sister, settled on their northern La Verne land, planning to farm. Because of the hot, dry summers, they realized they could not undertake conventional crop cultivation until a better source of water could be made available. The two couples and other ranchers below the foothills began to dry-farm, planting different crops in the fall and harvesting in the early summer, soon learning citrus would thrive. In order to survive, cooperation between ranchers became a necessity to share and manage scarce water supplies.

Early on, the area south of Foothill Boulevard was held by two major owners, Valentine Peyton and William Mills. When Mills put his non-citrus property on the market, Peyton bought the northern acreage. His holdings extended to White Avenue. With the sale, new growers entered into the La Verne Co-op Orange Association. This barren land proved to the new owners that the soil and the climate allowed the Washington navel orange trees to flourish. The soil was mostly granite, which promoted drainage since navels could not thrive where water pooled.

The co-op’s first oranges came to harvest before Christmas 1910 and were sent on their way to the nation’s four corners. Stories tell of the cherished joy when East Coast children found a La Verne orange in their Christmas stockings. The oranges peeled easily, and those peels were then saved, dried and kept in a child’s dresser drawer.

As citrus became a new commodity, the eccentricities of the Washington navel orange were soon learned and solved with innovative strategies developed to harvest, pack and ship them for market. Ranchers discovered it took a large work force to grow and sell sizeable quantities of citrus. The local workforce was inadequate to sustain this demand. This was a skilled job because pickers had to be trusted not to carelessly drop the oranges into boxes. The skin of an orange is delicate, and, if damaged, rots quickly.

Between 1943 and 1944, grove owners began to notice their healthy trees showing signs of deterioration. In the end, it was a very small enemy that took over this booming industry, something the Agriculture Department called “quick decline.” Eventually, the citrus experimental station, now the University of California Riverside Graduate School of Management, identified that a virus brought with the Meyer lemon affected the buds of citrus trees and prevented an interchange of water and nutrients. Smog also prevented the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Prominence for years to come

Distinguished names and artifacts from the booming empire can be seen in several La Verne locations. The orange tree growing at La Verne City Hall was planted to honor 20 years of civic service by Frank Johnson. Heritage Park, a model working grove, captures the way and life of La Verne during the empire’s reign. Multiple buildings in downtown La Verne hold murals depicting citrus, packinghouses and grove life. Due to this living commemoration throughout the city, future visitors and residents will forever know the significance of the center of the citrus industry, La Verne.

Creating an image to last generations, the red rose depicts the La Verne Cooperative Citrus Association’s “pure gold” standard. Used as a symbol for its very best, high grade fruit, this label graced superior crates of oranges and lemons sent around the world.

Citrus as a Johnson family affair

Frank and Nadine Johnson owned five citrus groves and raised three sons, Scott, Steve and Kirk among their bountiful groves. “My dad would tell us as kids that it was his childhood dream to be a citrus farmer. Since he grew up with the packinghouses, he wanted to see and experience the other side of the citrus industry,” Kirk, the youngest son, a La Verne real estate broker and attorney, says. The family owned five California groves, one each in Upland, La Verne, Porterville, Springville and Corona, including a Corona packinghouse. Their La Verne grove was located near Fruit Street, site of a mobile home park today. Frank also served as city of La Verne mayor. “It was a magical time for our family because we got to teach our sons about business and responsibility early on, all while having fun doing it. Our boys would always get into mischief while playing in the groves, but that was to be expected since they were boys,” Nadine says. All three sons remember the fun of growing up on an orange grove and just “being boys,” as their mother so fondly recalls. “Our La Verne grove is basically in many, if not all, of my childhood memories,” says Steve, the middle son, a present day Farmers Insurance agent. Kirk says that he remembers getting into much waywardness. “My older brothers and I would go down to the pond at the Springville grove at night and go frog-gigging. We would try to catch bullfrogs to eat the frog legs, but I do not think we ever caught one. We would chase rabbits and scare rattlesnakes while we were working.”

Key to map1. Marcus Sparks co-op headquarters, then ULV’s Organizational Leadership Building2. Demolished Sparks packing house3. Valentine Peyton packing house, becoming the ULV’s Arts and Communications Building4. Marcus Sparks packing house, becoming the La Verne Orange Association Plant 2 and then ULV’s Enrollment Management

A fond memory is going door-to-door with a wagon of freshly picked fruit. “It was a nice introduction to running a business and making money for yourself,” says Scott, the oldest son, an orange grower in Corona. Kirk says that he even enjoyed most of the manual labor, especially because they would have to get dirty and stay that way for a few hours. “Even though I liked the manual labor, I absolutely hated dead-wooding. I and two other kids would put on these thick, long-sleeved shirts and giant gloves and climb into the trees to remove the deadwood. We had to do this so the fruit would not get scarred because if it did, the value would diminish.”

While the Johnsons’ groves brought them together, it was not easy to run a Southern California grove. The weather was great to grow citrus, but orange trees need much water. “We owned our own wells on our property, but this region is a desert so there were droughts that hurt us significantly,” Nadine says. “Some years, the drought would be so intense, we would have to dig deeper, but you can only go so far.” The years passed and land values increased considerably. It was then that Nadine and Frank decided it was time to sell. “My parents eventually said we had to sell the groves because it was difficult to farm locally due to urban encroachment,” Steve says. Looking back, the Johnsons agree they miss living and working on their once-prominent groves. “My backyard is filled with citrus because the fragrance of the blossoms in the springtime is heavenly, and they are gorgeous fruits to look at,” Nadine says. “La Verne was the heart of the citrus empire, and I try to maintain some of that.”

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Judy and Art Moore fulfilled a longtime goal when they finally opened Café Cabo in downtown La Verne in December 2010. / photo by Christopher Guzman

by Tennille Lindsey-Wright
photography by Christopher Guzman

Close your eyes and picture Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. What do you see? How about a beautiful turquoise ocean, sand that stretches for miles, historic 18th century architecture, rock formations and the nicest people you will ever meet. This is exactly what you get when you walk into downtown La Verne’s newest Mexican restaurant, Café Cabo. The rustic yet modern décor offers a warm and inviting atmosphere. The ocean view and historic buildings are depicted on detailed wall paintings throughout the restaurant, and there is the Cabo ambience when you partake of their delicious food.

Art and Judy Moore and son A.J. Apodaca are co-owners of Café Cabo. They do a great job keeping the restaurant true to its theme, which is to create a home atmosphere modeled after their favorite vacation place, which they frequent at least twice a year. The owners are University of La Verne alumni, and their ULV diplomas adorn a wall. Judy and A.J. both received their master’s degrees from the University of La Verne in Public Administration. Daughter Tessy Granudos earned her ULV B.S. degree in Organizational Management. It is evident that the University holds a special place of honor for this family.

Judy Moore had always dreamed of opening a restaurant. She says she wanted to share her mother’s mouthwatering and hearty recipes with the world. “Of my mother’s five kids, I was the one to maximize her recipes. My family would always call me, asking how to make certain dishes. With four children of my own, I found myself cooking a lot of my mother’s recipes because Mexican food is not expensive, and it goes a long way when you are on a budget.” Nevertheless, it takes more than a dream and the ability to cook to open a restaurant. Judy never thought it would happen. Financial responsibilities and family obligations stood in the way. With Judy employed full-time as a project manager for Southern California Edison, her husband Art working in the car dealership business and son A.J. employed as a police officer, the desire continued to be just that, a dream. But fate had other plans. Her son A.J. sustained an injury as a Los Angeles police officer and was forced to retire early after 17 years of service. The family decided this was the right moment to put their plan into action. Originally, they were going to open a small taco stand, which they felt was ideal for first time restaurant owners. But a La Verne trip converted that small taco stand into something larger: a restaurant. While driving down D Street, the Moores noticed a for rent sign. Judy called the number, the conversation with the landlord went well, and Café Cabo was born. The Moores continue to work their full-time jobs while coordinating their restaurant schedules with one another and son A.J.

The grand opening was Dec. 15, 2010, and the Moores say the city of La Verne heartily welcomed Café Cabo. The owners joined the Chamber of Commerce, and Art has become a board alternate. A bonus comes for the University community: students and staff/faculty are able to receive a 10 percent meal discount, plus receive a VIP card that is hole-punched, awarding a 10th meal free. The owners are looking forward to becoming even more involved by hosting fundraising events for University and community organizations.

Old town D Street has recently seen several businesses close, some unexpectantly. The economy has left many people with shattered hopes. Café Cabo’s very location has been home to three recently failed business attempts. The owners are very aware of the history of their location yet are confident. They believe the downtown La Verne area will thrive again, and that the University of La Verne is an important support anchor. “Our strategy is to provide quality food and continue to introduce new unique dishes,” Judy says. Café Cabo will be introducing new foods such as “spinach enchiladas” and “mexi-skins.” The owners believe that offering several options to their customers and giving back to the community is the best way to ensure longevity and success.

The Café Cabo owners have also done their best to ensure their customers are receiving healthy food. Judy says she worked aggressively with her 20-year veteran cooks to ensure the proper delivery of her family recipes. These recipes do not include lard, trans fat or saturated fat. “We have developed our menu to accommodate vegetarians,” she says. Her own favorite dish? Chile verde, which is oven roasted, peeled, then ground in an old fashioned molcajete. The entire process takes more than four hours, a small time sacrifice, Judy says, to deliver the best to her customers.

Do not be surprised if you are greeted as “mijo,” which means my son, or “mija,” which means my daughter, when you walk through the doors of Café Cabo. Consider that the initiation into the Café Cabo family. Says Judy, “What makes our restaurant different from others is that once you walk in, you are part of our family. We want you to feel at home.”

The Café Cabo experience

It starts with the chips and salsa. For me, not partaking in this appetizer is the norm. I have since changed my opinion. The salsa, with its perfect blend of spices, has an authentic zesty flavor. Art Moore credits the flavorful salsa to his three-days-a-week grocery run for fresh produce. “I am constantly going to the store,” he says. “Fresh produce is the key to good food.” The mild or spicy salsa served with warm, crispy tortilla chips is a perfect introduction to Café Cabo’s cuisine wonderland. The menu consists of tacos, burritos, enchiladas and salads. What sounds like traditional Mexican food instead has its own flare that sets it apart. “We taste everything to make sure the quality is consistent,” Judy says. Do you want a burrito half chicken, half carne asada? No, that combination is not on the menu, but you can order it. Custom eating experiences are welcomed. To conclude the tasty adventure, a crunchy dessert called Buñelos, tortilla chips served warm with cinnamon and sugar, is served. With quality meats, fresh produce, outstanding customer service and a delicious dessert treat, this restaurant has become a customer favorite.

Chile rellenos and chile verde are among Café Cabo’s most popular fare, but this supreme carne asada taco is not far behind. / photo by Christopher Guzman

The Café Cabo experience

It starts with the chips and salsa. For me, not partaking in this appetizer is the norm. I have since changed my opinion. The salsa, with its perfect blend of spices, has an authentic zesty flavor. Art Moore credits the flavorful salsa to his three-days-a-week grocery run for fresh produce. “I am constantly going to the store,” he says. “Fresh produce is the key to good food.” The mild or spicy salsa served with warm, crispy tortilla chips is a perfect introduction to Café Cabo’s cuisine wonderland. The menu consists of tacos, burritos, enchiladas and salads. What sounds like traditional Mexican food instead has its own flare that sets it apart. “We taste everything to make sure the quality is consistent,” Judy says. Do you want a burrito half chicken, half carne asada? No, that combination is not on the menu, but you can order it. Custom eating experiences are welcomed. To conclude the tasty adventure, a crunchy dessert called Buñelos, tortilla chips served warm with cinnamon and sugar, is served. With quality meats, fresh produce, outstanding customer service and a delicious dessert treat, this restaurant has become a customer favorite.

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Floral designer John Nogales and co-owner Sharon Trejo show off the offerings of the Sweet Shoppe. Sharon manages the ice cream and candy, and makes the homemade fudge. John, a floral designer for 15 years, oversees the flower shop and its arrangements. / photo by Garrett Gutierrez

by Julissa Cardenas
photography by Garrett Gutierrez

Stepping into the Sweet Shoppe in downtown La Verne is stepping into three stores in one. That craving for ice cream that led you inside is now diverted by an impulsive craving for candy and then a desire to buy a bouquet of flowers. This is exactly what Bridget Drake, the owner, has in mind. Unlike most small businesses, the Sweet Shoppe makes it its mission to survive by not just offering one thing to its customers but by providing three.

Bridget and daughter Sharon Trejo, part owner, decided that their specialty items would be ice cream, candies and flowers, all conveniently partnered. This sometimes “overwhelming variety is needed to thrive in this economy,” says Bridget. Positive customer feedback the two receive drives them to add more items. “I am very proud of the business I have. In this economy, a business cannot survive on one product or gimmick. You need something that will make you stand out but also something that goes together and benefits the customers,” she says.

With its grand opening February 2010, the shop has quickly become a vital part of old downtown La Verne. The idea for the combined business came to Bridget and Sharon when Pat Gatti, long-time owner of a flower shop, retired. Then Dippin’ Dots Ice Cream also closed. With a retired florist, a closed ice cream shop, a space to lease and a new idea, Bridget turned the closed Dippin’ Dots space into her own ice cream, candy and flower shop. Bridget, from Pomona, says she has made it her mission to thrive in this intimate downtown area, with her innovative ideas and her willingness to make customers happy.

She once was the owner of the Upland restaurant “Jingles”; however, after 4 1/2 years, she sold the restaurant. “I have many years of experience, and, even though the restaurant was more than 15 years ago, I now have an ice cream shop. Although the businesses are demanding, I know that I am ready to get back into it again, and I really enjoy the shop I have today.” She says her family run business is a plus. “Not that many customers get the family feel with a business now a days.” She hired John Nogales, a family member, to manage and arrange the floral designs. And aside from delivering flowers, this is the only shop in La Verne that can wire flowers out for its customers.

Both Bridget and John agree that successful businesses do customer extras. They receive orders for elaborate bouquets, party trays, novelty gifts and even that one single rose that John does not hesitate to provide. “People come in here asking for a single rose, and that’s OK with us; whatever the customer wants, we can make it happen,” she says. For Trish Ciccoianni, University of La Verne assistant director of annual giving, that was true. She says she was recently surprised to receive a flower arrangement from her husband, arranged by the shop. “The flowers are so beautiful, and I’m surprised to say that they really last, which not many flowers do; they are really beautifully arranged.” Even though the shop is located across the street from the University, most of Bridget’s customers are city residents. “The students need to know that we can provide our services for dances, the holidays or even for any gift they are thinking of buying,” John says. “A nicely arranged bouquet for a teacher is a great gift, and it requires personalized attention and quality that the market cannot provide,” Bridget says.

The tasty part of the shop consists of ice cream, candy and other delectable goods that keep customers coming back. There are 21 ice cream flavors—including favorites pistachio almond, spumoni, chocolate malted crunch, bubble gum, cookies and cream, rocky road, black cherry and classic vanilla. The ice cream is all from Humbolt and Thrifty, two famous ice cream brands. Delicious banana splits, where customers can mix and match flavors, are ready for the making. If a customer wants a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of coconut pineapple, it can be done. One scoop is $1.40, and the special waffle cone is $4.50. “I am just trying to supply the customers with what they want while at the same time trying to put a little extra money in my pocket,” she says. “I just need a little help paying the bills.”

Available, too, is candy. Some is sold weighed ($2.50 a quarter pound) while some has a set price. Weighed candy includes jellybeans, gummy worms, gummy army men, chocolate malt balls, sugar rock candy, caramel chews, Swedish fish, fruit runts and skittles. The set price selection includes the always favorite “Pop Rocks” that tingle and crackle in your mouth, to sugar daddies and the good old tootsie roll pops that get chewy at the center. There is also novelty candy—stallion, kings and lucky lights gum plus wafers, whirly pops, sixlets and candy buttons. A new customer favorite, fudge, made by Bridget, is sucrose free and comes in 12 flavors. The fudge is $12.99 a pound, but is also sold in small pieces.

Bridget’s business savvy comes from her will to succeed. “I believe in good old fashioned business. I miss the old customs of a personal touch between a customer and a shop owner,” she says. “In the end, I believe that old-school rules.”

Editor’s Note: Regretfully, after press time and a week before Christmas Day, the Sweet Shoppe owners, without announcement, closed their business. Festive snowmen in a holiday scene on now closed Sweet Shoppe store windows stood in contrast to the overwhelming challenges facing this small business as it tried to survive in a tough business climate.

The traditional three ice cream favorites highlight a 21 flavor menu. / photo by Garrett Gutierrez

Two great anniversary treat tips

Anniversaries are a time to thoughtfully remember that special someone with a greeting and sweets. Gift ideas that express this well come from two of La Verne’s specialty shops.

Sinfully Sweet Apple Company
2084 Foothill Blvd., La Verne
sinfullysweetgourmettreats.com

Look for beautiful anniversary apple arrangements, with prices starting at $5.50. Also on the menu are cupcakes, chocolate dipped fruit, cheesecakes, pretzels, wedding apples, edible ornaments, rice krispy candy (try the chocolate dip) and popcorn. La Verne delivery is $5.

Ellsworth’s Stationers
2317 D St., La Verne

The store has a card for all occasions. Have a special design in mind? Ellsworth’s can order it for you. The store has decorative paper, parchment paper and the classic stationary for that special card, starting at 15 cents per page. A well written, personalized letter really makes a difference.

With more than 50 jars of candies, the Sweet Shoppe lives up to its name. Offered are everything from red, white and blue gummy freedom rings to fruit candies and chocolate sweets. / photo by Garrett Gutierrez

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Owners of late night dining in La Verne, (left to right) Kenny Schonfeld of Warehouse Pizza, and Naomi and Tony Spencer of T. Phillips, serve their hungry clientele after hours. / photography by Michael D. Martinez

by Julissa Cardenas
photography by Michael D. Martinez

Approaching one of her favorite La Verne restaurants, Kelli Castillo, a student at Mount San Antonio College, notices a slight change. It is subtle, but her eye catches it. The restaurant’s usual high grade has slipped from an “A” to a “B.” Kelli is undeterred, but she is perhaps more forgiving than others. For some, a restaurant’s grade makes all the difference on where they dine. And for La Verne’s restaurant owners, it is the realization of their worst fear to slip to a “B,” never mind a “C” rating. For even a “B” plastered on the front window is as unwelcome as graffiti. Yet, as more and more questionable grades—”B’s,” even occasional “C’s” appeared on some local restaurants last fall and spring, diners may have wondered about the trend.

The Bowl House, the place where many members of the La Verne community grab a delicious bowl of teriyaki chicken, briefly held a “C” grade, along with the Phoenix Garden Chinese Restaurant and T. Phillips Alehouse & Grill. The Phoenix Garden had a “C” in the beginning of January 2010, while T. Phillips had a “C” in May of 2009. Both quickly corrected the ratings to “A’s.”

The Bowl House, too, managed to bounce back, improving its score to a “B.” While an improvement, the “B” was given due to dirty food contacts and improper food temperature. These two violations impeded Bowl House’s chances to gain an “A.” As the Bowl House owners learned, just two violations in section one, which deals with serious issues such as rodents, water temperature and food contamination, can drop a restaurant’s grade dramatically.

Angel’s Place, also located on La Verne’s “D” Street, in March 2010 carried a “B” rating for “Clean/ Sanitizing Food Contact Surfaces.”

For Kenny Schonfeld, the owner of Warehouse Pizza, located on “D” Street, getting a “B” was a real shock. “I had a “B” for the first time in 24 years,” recalls Schonfeld. “I’ve always had an ‘A.’” According to the inspection form, Warehouse Pizza had two violations. The salad bowl was not covered, and the food temperature was not up to par. While less than excellent ratings were the situation for many La Verne restaurants, Schonfeld was determined to change his “B” as quickly as possible. “I paid $274 for the re-inspection, and within 10 days [the inspector] returned. I have to say I was surprised because we had been doing the same thing for 24 years, but I am happy to say my final grade returned to an ‘A,’” Schonfeld says.

A restaurant that has managed to keep an “A” rating is the Taco Factory, located on Foothill Boulevard. Christina De Anda, cashier of Taco Factory, is happy about her rating. “As long as I can remember, it has always been an “A.” At times, it has been borderline, but we always manage to get the best rating,” De Anda says. “It’s always done at random; we never know when the inspector is about to show, but we are always prepared,” De Anda explains.

The element of surprise is something that many restaurant owners deal with; for some, it can be difficult managing customers and the health inspector at the same time. “The inspector can be inspecting for quite some time. There are some who stay and thoroughly inspect everything, but my staff and I have to continue on with the business; there are hungry customers,” Schonfeld says.

The La Verne inspector explains his job

Angel Ramirez is the health inspector who inspected Warehouse Pizza and other restaurants in La Verne. “We are trained to have a bird’s eye view, to take everything in all at once; that is my job. The first thing I do is to take a good view of the place. I look at the windows, the walls, the staff, pretty much everything and my surroundings,” says Ramirez.

Ramirez never leaves his office without his tool kit, its main implement being a thermocouple, which is a fancy evolved thermometer that allows inspectors to receive fast readings of temperature. In his kit, he also carries his evaluation forms and the big letters that one sees in a restaurant’s window. He has been doing this job for eight years.

The element of surprise that the owners get during a visit from Ramirez is not as enjoyable for him as one would think. “The surprise is part of my job; it is the way it is. I don’t enjoy it, and I don’t hate it. If we didn’t do it that way, they would prepare ahead of time, and we would not see how it really is. It’s like a candid view, a candid camera.”

During the inspection, Ramirez prefers to separate business and friendship. “I am a health inspector, and during the inspection that is my job. After the inspection is when we can socialize.” The one thing that Ramirez understands and emphasizes during his visits is the education that an owner needs in order to understand why her rating was the way it was.

“The best tool for this kind of relationship is education; otherwise, they don’t understand the details. If you educate them, they don’t question because they know what it takes to get a “B” or an “A,” although everyone wants an “A” even though a “B” is not bad,” says Ramirez. “When an owner questions my final rating, I encourage them to have a meeting with the Health Department in order to fully understand what it takes to get an “A.” I do not do it on purpose; I simply am doing my job.”

Asked whether he eats at a “B” establishment, Ramirez’s answer was surprising. “You look at a ‘B’ rating, and that is normal; it’s not too bad. I eat at restaurants with a ‘B’; there are just a couple of minor violations. Now a ‘C’; those are major food violations, and there is no way I will eat anywhere with a ‘C.’” In order to get a “C,” a restaurant has violations in both section one and possibly section two on the inspection form. Section two has in-depth violations that deal with improper food handling, improperly cleaned utensils and surfaces, and hazardous chemical storage. For example, if a restaurant has uncooked food stored above cooked food, that is a dangerous violation because of food contamination risks. There is a grade below a “C,” which results in restaurant closure. When a restaurant receives a closure rating, it receives 48-hour notice by the Health Department. “I always make it my mission to complete the inspection before making any brash decisions. I continue to inspect, even if I see questioning signs; everyone deserves a thorough inspection,” Ramirez says.

A retired health inspector remembers

Kaleigh Downing is a retired health inspector who recalls many horrors in the food industry. “I’ve inspected restaurants, bars, strip joints, markets; you name it.” Aside from viewing cockroach spray in many restaurants’ pantries, there were other memorable items that are hard to forget. “I remember this place in China Town where the cutting boards had animal droppings. There are places where you instantly walk in, and you know they have to be shut down immediately,” Downing recalls.

As the food industry keeps evolving, many rules that are enforced now did not exist while Downing was inspecting. “I remember that we did not have a grading system with ‘A’s,’ ‘B’s,’ and ‘C’s,’ and restaurant owners did not pay for re-inspection,” says Downing. Depending on the violations, inspectors would return within a day, weeks or months. Owners would simply have to wait. As more and more restaurant owners complain about the re-inspection fees, Downing has a few words to say about their complaints. “The restaurants shouldn’t be complaining about paying for a re-check fee because they shouldn’t have gotten a ‘B’ or less in the first place.”

Public opinion on the ratings

With the grading system, many restaurants may suffer business loss with a “B” or “C” rating due to public misconceptions. “I never eat at a “C” restaurant,” says Michelle Kazman, a University of La Verne education major. “There are many things that come to mind when I think of those ratings, and, personally, those restaurants are not for me. A sushi place definitely must have an ‘A’ because I am eating raw food. When it comes to a ‘B’ rating, I may still eat there, depending on the food and the place, but it is always best to have an ‘A,’” says Kazman.

For Kelli Castillo, ratings are not so important. “I rarely check for ratings, or I rarely see them on the windows. If I stumble across a ‘C’ rating, that’s when I pay attention and choose to not eat there. Other than that, it’s not a big deal.”

While some prefer “A’s” and do not pay much attention to the ratings, others are very particular about the places where they eat. “I only eat at places with an ‘A’ rating, and I specifically look for the ‘A’ if it is hidden,” Brenda Pena, a student at Pasadena City College says. “It’s a matter of health for the customer, but it is also a matter of pride as a business owner to have a good rating,” says Pena. “With a good rating, which is an “A,” the owner is happy, and the customers keep coming back.”

Also see the companion story, “How restaurants earn their letters.”

With boastful pride, the La Verne management of T. Phillips Alehouse & Grill on “D” Street keeps its coveted Health Department “A” rating in a locked display cabinet. / photo by Michael D. Martinez

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Like a mirror to the past, Betty Kalousek’s antiques reflect the changing of time. Betty, the owner of Generations Antiques & Art, located on ”D” Street, has lived in La Verne for 50 years with her husband Verne. / photo by Michel D. Martinez

by Angie Marcos
photography by Michael D. Martinez

For Betty Kalousek, the owner of Generations Antique & Art in old town La Verne, antique collecting has been a major part of her life for the past 35 years. Her passion started with antique sterling silver souvenir spoons. While cleaning out her parents’ home, she came across 10 spoons holding family members’ names. This moment sparked Betty’s personal philosophy for antique collecting—the object has to be unusual, different and old. “Antique collectors are the greatest recyclers in the world,” she says.

Walking into Betty’s Generations Antique & Art is similar to walking into a grandmother’s living room. Delicate objects—porcelain figurines, plates, glasses, earrings and pins—sit on equally delicate cupboards and tables. Each antique object thematically belongs; there is a collector’s detailed authority at work here; an artist’s vision. A feeling of delicate cautiousness sweeps over the visitor. This place is more museum than store. A childhood fear, that touching or walking by the precious objects will cause them to fall and break, surfaces.

At home in the La Verne house they have called home for 50 years, Betty and her husband Verne Kalousek say family and friends have kept them in La Verne for half a century. “I think what makes La Verne unique is the old town,” Betty says. “Most of the businesses in old town La Verne are run by the owners of the shops, and they’re anxious to keep their customers happy.”

“It is a very well-run city,” Verne adds. “It has been in the past, and it is now. I enjoy that it is a small community.” Verne’s family came from Kansas in 1923 to La Verne. His father historically owned a grocery store next door to what is now Generations Antique & Art.

Betty’s daughter Carrie Leeper helps run the antique store a few days a week. Nevertheless, the majority of the time one can expect to see Betty sitting behind the counter, eagerly waiting to explain the history of the antiques available for sale.

“I love the historical aspect of antiques. Older things are made better and with a personal touch,” she says. Betty receives most of the antiques she has for sale at her store through people who come in and sell them to her. Along with her daughter, Betty visits nearby homes and evaluates individual’s antiques. “I am always more than glad to help people and tell them what is good to keep, and what they should sell,” Betty says. “What I recommend that people keep are those objects that have memories. Even if those wanting to sell them are young, family heirlooms are something they will want to eventually pass down.” Another factor of whether an individual will sell an item is its worth. “If it’s worth a lot of money, some choose to keep the item, while others choose to sell it.”

An item is considered antique, according to Betty, if it is more than 100 years old. “However,” Betty explains, “antiques are getting younger and younger. Young people today don’t just want to sit something on a shelf; they want to use it. An object may be considered antique now if it is 50 years old.”

Then there is the rise in popularity of the internet, which has taken away some clientele but also helped. “If you’re into the internet, you can find anything for sale. I definitely do think the internet has made a little difference in business, but many people have been burned from purchasing objects on the internet. Many people want to see and feel the object before making their purchase,” Betty says.

Lending a hand

For 14 years, Betty has actively led in the Old Town La Verne Business Improvement District. The district, says Hal Fredericksen, La Verne community development director, is an association of merchants in the historical district. “They assess themselves a fee to fund improvements in the area,” Fredericksen says. The improvement district funds the landscaping, maintenance and farmer’s market in Old Town La Verne, as well as the December Holiday Open House.

Last year, Betty received the 2008 Jack Huntington Pride of La Verne Award for her outstanding community service. “The award honors volunteer service in the city,” Fredericksen says. “She was chosen because she has been active in the city for more than 20 years. She goes above and beyond in providing service to La Verne.”

Betty helps organize the Holiday Open House and supported the addition of free pictures with Santa Claus during the event. The Holiday Open House allows residents to witness the tree lighting in Mainiero Square as well as features Christmas caroling. Betty also collects toys for the Open House’s “Spark of Love” toy drive.

Betty donated the funds for the purchase of the El Camino Real bell located on D Street and Bonita Avenue. “I thought [the bell] would be a nice addition to the city,” she says. “La Verne wanted to purchase the bell and asked the Old Town La Verne Business Improvement District for funds, but they didn’t have enough so our family decided to buy the bell. I remembered the mission bells from my childhood. I thought it would be a nice gift for the city.”

“Some would say she’s a historic figure to the town,” Fredericksen says. “She’s a good friend to the city, and she cares a lot about La Verne.”

Early beginnings

Betty was born and raised in Pomona until age 14, when her family bought a ranch in Walnut. She graduated from La Verne College in 1955 and was married that same year to Verne, also a graduate of La Verne College. The newly married Kalouseks then moved to Ontario, where they both worked as teachers. In 1960, they moved to La Verne.

In 1952, three years before they were married, Verne opened Rancho Foothill Nursery on Fruit Street, which today is run by two of the couple’s five children. Instead of being open to the public, as it had been from 1952 to 2000, it is now run as a wholesale nursery, selling its products to landscapers and gardeners. “We had a lot of agriculture here, and the nursery was just an extension of that,” Verne says. “We started out with citrus trees and avocado trees, and we just went from there.”

Forty years ago, Betty recalls putting up a self-serve avocado stand outside the nursery. Featured were fresh avocados and a change box, where people would purchase avocados by simply leaving their money in the box and even making their own change. Noting that the stand wouldn’t work in today’s society, Betty chuckles. “Nowadays people would take the avocados, the money, the stand and anything else they could get their hands on. I remember a neighbor of ours who would sell eggs on his front porch in the same manner. He would leave the eggs on his porch with a box, and people would just go and buy their own eggs. Businesses were run like that. This was farming country.”

Betty first began selling antiques in The Irish Nook, a store she ran in Glendora for 13 years from 1982 to 1995. Then, with the store being remodeled and her goods in storage, the opportunity came to open a new store in her hometown. “If I came here, I wouldn’t have to take things down, store them and then set them back up again,” Betty says. “It was pure coincidence that it was for sale at the same time that we were looking for a location.” In 1995, Betty moved her antique shop from Glendora to La Verne, where she has been running Generations Antique & Art for the past 15 years. “My shop has always been a business to me, not a hobby. It is, however, an enjoyable business,” she says.

When one purchases an object at Generations Antique & Art, she does not just purchase a collectible; she purchases a story, a history of some sort. The same applies when one meets Betty. She does not simply meet a new friendly face but, instead, meets an individual who has successfully been striving to make the city of La Verne the best it can be for the past 50 years.

Betty Kalousek’s La Verne “D” Street store display window matches not only her friendly demeanor but the serene manner in which she presents her antique shop. / photo by Michael D. Martinez

La Verne in the ‘60s

Not surprisingly, Betty finds many striking differences between La Verne 1960 and present.

Where she lives. The home she has lived in for the past 50 years used to sit near a 20-acre grove. Today, it is located between a high school and a shopping center area. “I miss it a lot,” she says. “It was a very quiet, nice place. Now it’s just not so quiet anymore.” The area was once a sea of citrus trees. “At one time there were only three other houses on Fruit Street. Now it’s a main way to the freeway.”

Where she works. Old Town La Verne once held department stores, a fabric shop, a shoe store, a grocery store, a post office, a gas station and a hardware store. “People didn’t have to leave the town for much before. Everything they needed was here in old town La Verne,” Betty says. “Somewhere around 1960 things started deteriorating.”

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Roberta’s Village Inn is located in downtown La Verne on “D” Street and has kept customers coming back since it first opened. / photo by Lauren Pollard

by Taryn Aguilar
photography by Lauren Pollard

“That’s Henry. That’s Gil. That’s Bob, Joe and Harry. And that’s Sam. He has the two eggs scrambled with wheat toast and mixed berries jelly. He has his eggs sunny-side-up and French toast on the weekends. He has hot chocolate. He has the coffee with two sugars, no cream. He has the eggs and hash browns and the steak and eggs on Saturdays. He has five meals to choose from, we call them one, two, three, four and five. He just says a number and we make it.”

Waitress Keri Veylupek knows her customers. Everyone is a regular. Like the old TV show “Cheers,” it’s where everybody knows your name, and even your breakfast habits.

Roberta Virgin bought La Verne’s Village Inn seven years ago and changed the name to Roberta’s Village Inn. The Village Inn had been around since 1969, but before that, it was a Chinese restaurant that opened in 1949. Before the Chinese restaurant was there, it was the town’s main meat market.

Before Roberta bought the Village Inn, she was a waitress and then a manager of the restaurant. What made her want to become an entrepreneur? The owner of the Village Inn was retiring and she still needed a job. Pretty good reason.

Roberta doesn’t come from La Verne, but for three decades, she has made a home at the Village Inn.

“I didn’t grow up in this town, but I grew up in this restaurant.”

That is the same sentiment that I come across in talking to my waitress, Keri. We talk as if we are two old friends catching up. Maybe it’s the atmosphere or the scrumptious ham-and-egg omelet I just devoured, but I feel really comfortable here. Roberta’s has that undeniable hometown feel. Keri and the other waitresses treat their customers like family. I feel at home here, even though this is only my first visit.

Keri was born in the Midwest, and her family would move every two years, making it difficult to find a real home or find stability and friends. She had been in California for two years when she got her waitressing job at Roberta’s.

“It’s the first time I really had a home. It’s the hub of the community. The Chamber of Commerce meets here. The Rotary Club meets here. It’s our Mayberry. I am happy every day here. You can’t put a price on that. I love what I do.”

It’s not every day that you find a person with such a passion for their job. There must be something in the French toast here at Roberta’s, because no one ever wants to leave.

There are a few main waitresses at Roberta’s. At the time of my visit, there was Mona, who’s been there for 10 years, and Alice, who’s been there for seven. It obviously has very low turnover, and it’s an environment that everyone clings to, from the customers to the waitresses.

I asked a waitress if there was a customer—a regular—who would be willing to let me sit down with them for a chat. She looked around and sent me straight to Mrs. E, who was sipping coffee in a lone booth—a rarity, because she comes to Roberta’s almost everyday with her family. But today she was alone.

Mrs. E has lived in La Verne for 45 years and has been coming to Roberta’s for 35. She tells me that, after a while, it becomes family, and that’s why she chooses Roberta’s—for the people.

“The girls are very efficient, very friendly. They just take care of you. People can go anywhere to have a meal. They come here because they want the service. They cater to you here.”

The regulars are the staple of Roberta’s business. Keri tells me that 85 percent of their customers are regulars, most of whom come in every day. They easily become a big extended family, people who genuinely care for each other. It’s not hard to start loving Roberta’s after sharing a delicious meal with them seven days a week.

Keri mentions that there are a few elderly people who often come to Roberta’s, and if they don’t come in for a few days, she will give them a ring to make sure all is well.

There is always something happening in Roberta’s. They should really consider charging admission because for the price of a cup of coffee, you can have all the entertainment in the world listening to the priceless conversations between the gentlemen at the coffee bar or the friendly banter of the waitresses and their customers, or rather, of friend and friend.

Roberta has been here for 30 years. What keeps her here are the people. It’s her comfort zone.

“There are people I’ve known since my first day here. Some have come and gone. But there are still a few that have been here since the beginning.”

The restaurant fits perfectly in its downtown setting. It remains old-fashioned, taking cash only, and serving only the best comfort foods. That is what Roberta takes pride in and she’s not about to change it any time soon. Roberta’s is a home for many people. The everyday patrons attend as if attending church.

The same few seats are worn, as the same people occupy them day in and day out. When the waitresses are prepping the restaurant before opening their doors at 7 a.m., they know not to just put silverware at every table, or refill the salt, sugar and pepper shakers, they also place waters at these reserved seats for their regulars.

Roberta remarks that these regulars can get quite feisty if they don’t get their regular seat. Perhaps these regulars have earned their seats. They are just as much a part of Roberta’s as their delicious ham-and-egg omelets, their crispy and tender French toast and their friendly service.

In talking with Roberta, you can sense her pride in the restaurant. She is a part of its history and it is a part of hers, but it doesn’t stop there.

“When 9/11 happened, we were very busy. I felt so guilty to be keeping my doors open during such a tragedy. But then I realized that people were coming here because it brought normalcy to their lives. To not stay open would deprive them of that.”

In terms of great food, genuinely good service and overall homey atmosphere, Roberta’s is a success. Roberta is quick to remind me that it is her waitresses and cooks who add their own contributions to make it successful. Keri chuckles as she tells me that people say they come for the entertainment, but I think they come here because it’s their home away from home.

Everything moves a little slower at Roberta’s, and for that one meal that you spend there, you gain a few friends and a story to tell. So, if you’re in downtown, your stomach needs nourishment and your brain needs stimulus, try Roberta’s Village Inn, if not for the entertainment, then for the French toast.

Mona Shumate (“Mona from Pomona”) shares a laugh with Jim Beckman, a Village Inn regular, while serving him breakfast at the coffee bar. Beckman stops by the Village Inn at least once a week for breakfast. / photo by Lauren Pollard

photo by Lauren Pollard

photo by Lauren Pollard

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