In honor of the 85th anniversary of the Toluca Lake Chamber of Commerce, a few longtime members shared their reflections and favorite memories with us.
“The TLCC is an amazing asset to our beautiful community here. Their ongoing efforts of support for each individual business truly help the community band together as a whole. Since our opening in 1995 (29 years now!), the Chamber has assisted in keeping us a mainstay. What’s most outstanding is the traditional Holiday Open House. What a wonderful way to kick the spirit into high gear with peace and harmony.”
— Eric Avallone, general manager of Prosecco Trattoria
“One of our favorite memories of an event the Chamber had was a car show. Toluca Lake residents put their cars along Riverside Drive for three blocks. It was a lot of fun interacting with everyone and learning about the history of their cars. Another favorite memory were the Holiday Open Houses. They were always so festive. Sylvia’s parents, Van and Helen Ohanian, participated many years ago when they were Chamber members.
“We have been members of the Chamber since 1969. Peter was a past Chamber president and enjoyed working with his board members and community leaders. We love being a part of the Chamber. It’s a wonderful group of people who care about our Village. They host events to engage community involvement. They are always helping us to promote our store. We want to give back to the Chamber by donating, which is why we designed our symbolic Toluca Lake swan charms.”
— Sylvia and Peter Generales, owners of Generales & Generales
“When people ask me what I get out of being involved with the TLCC, my response is two things: 1. I love the comradery that I have with my fellow business members and friends. When we work together on projects, it strengthens our bond. 2. I know the power that just one individual has to make a change. So as a group I see what a huge difference we can make by working together. Whether it is our monthly cleanups, our Annual Pancake Breakfast, our mixers or our Holiday Open House, just being a part of this connects us with other like-minded businesspeople who not only want to maintain and improve their business but also want to see our community thrive.
“One of my favorite memories was our Toluca Lake 75th year anniversary parade. Bob Hope was our grand marshal. Everyone came out and lined the streets. Also, the Magical Christmas Caroling Truck was always a great boost for our community. Every year at the TLCC Holiday Open House we hired the caroling truck to go up and down Riverside Drive. In front of Priscilla’s Coffee, many of our local residents and patrons would line up to see this indescribable spectacle. People would actually cry as the musical truck would stop by. It was a favorite for everyone in our community.”
— Shannon Hartman, owner of Priscilla’s Coffee