GUEST OPINION
Alhambra Chamber of Commerce welcomes, then retracts, membership to community organization (Photos – Grassroots Alhambra).
Everyone’s heard of the Chamber of Commerce. It is the organization that sends its monthly newspaper advertisement to every resident in Alhambra, Alhambra’s only printed press.
By Melissa Michelson
According to the Chamber of Commerce, the organization is “…a resource for residents, organizations, and business firms seeking information about Alhambra, the San Gabriel Valley, and all of Los Angeles County.”
One month after the community organization Grassroots Alhambra applied for membership to the Chamber as a non-profit organization, the Chamber of Commerce rescinded Grassroots’ membership and returned the membership fee of $275. Sharon Gibbs, Executive Director, wrote: “Please disregard the previous correspondence of the acceptance of your organization’s membership, which was erroneously sent out prior to our Aug.8 board meeting. We regret to inform you that your organization’s membership has been declined…because [the Board of Directors] feels strongly that your organization, its goals and its actions do not align with those of the Alhambra Chamber of Commerce.”
As a member of Grassroots Alhambra, it is clear to me that the Chamber of Commerce, by retracting the membership, is retaliating against the advocacy group because of the current lawsuit it has against the City of Alhambra for approving a major construction of a Lowe’s without doing a thorough environmental and traffic study. The location is on Fremont at Mission, which is a principal route to the 10 freeway from the northern San Gabriel Valley on the site of a former foundry. Reading the tone and words used in the Chamber’s article in its May 2017 issue, as well as its lack of balanced reporting, the Chamber’s stance is aligned with the City.
Historically, from 1904 to 1913, the Chamber was called Alhambra Board of Trade, but now-President Robert Fukui, who admits to having no roots in Alhambra, said that the organization was renamed to the Alhambra Chamber of Commerce “to better reflect its function as the voice of the business community, public relations arm of the city, and a helpful welcoming organization for new retail businesses, industries, and residents.”
The Chamber welcomed the non-profit community advocacy organization in the August issue of the paper, along with other new members: “Grassroots Alhambra is a community group that aims to inform the public on social, environmental and technical issues that adversely affect the safety, health and well-being of Alhambra community and promotes and fosters efforts to for successful resolutions.”
Membership to the Alhambra Chamber of Commerce is open to for-profit and non-profit organizations. The YMCA, The Alhambra’s Women’s Club, the historic society, the public library, and even Councilwoman Barbara Messina are members.
In July, Grassroots Alhambra joined the First Baptist Church, Rotary Club, firefighters, and other groups, to volunteer during the City Neighborhood Cleanup. This month, Grassroots Alhambra is offering an educational session at the Alhambra public library on Wed., August 23 at 7pm to “explore issues of open space and green space, development and traffic, and discuss how the proposed General Plan update might address these and other quality of life issues.”
Melissa Michelson is a resident of Alhambra and a member of Grassroots Alhambra.
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