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Bounty of Fountains

Frank Villanueva’s big leap of faith is paying dividends.

Villanueva originally operated an interior statuary design business with his parents. But 10 years ago‚ as imports of the products began to cut into his business‚ Villanueva bought out his parents and overhauled both his product line and his customers.

Instead of selling vases‚ lamps and other interior plaster products to wholesalers‚ Villanueva converted to exterior statues and fountains made of concrete – products more secure against international competition.

Today‚ Bradley Art Studio is the largest supplier of outdoor products in the area‚ with more than 50 models on display and 900 molds from which to create others.

“You can go to four other stores‚ and it wouldn’t equal our inventory‚” says Villanueva‚ who named the studio after his grandfather.

That inventory also gets prominent display at his location at Mariposa Road. While many competitors will stockpile row after row of freestanding fountains‚ Villanueva’s are displayed on landscaped grounds‚ to allow customers to better visualize how pieces will look on their properties.

Santa Fe in the High Desert

Old Route 66 was where East met West in the High Desert. Today‚ those two directions are brought together in a different way at a former gas station on the legendary highway.

Steve Blech opened the Santa Fe Trading Co. in 2001 as a way to introduce Victorville to the Santa Fe style of home décor that captivated him when he was furnishing his own home. But Blech’s version of Southwest style is not flush with pastels‚ but is instead a rustic blend where “Victorian style is mixed with the pueblo.”

His store is stocked with home furnishings‚ gifts‚ candles and other items‚ all tinged with a Southwest flavor.

“We try to find things you can’t find anywhere else‚” Blech says.

Even the building is one of a kind. The store is housed in the former gas station run by his grandfather‚ Henry Valentine; it’s the lone remaining filling station on Old 66.

Ground to Perfection

Protech Minerals may be the only company in San Bernardino County that can sell customers 3‚000 pounds worth of dust.

The process actually begins in one of the 10 mineral mines sprinkled throughout the region. Materials are mined there‚ then shipped to the mill in Victorville.

At the mill‚ the materials are ground to various sizes‚ ranging from large granules “down to dust‚” says President Chul Lim Choe. The company offers its products in more than a half-dozen different-sized granules.

The company mines five materials: bentonite‚ PV clay‚ talc‚ zeolite and montmorillonite. Its customers‚ both domestic and international buyers‚ use the crushed materials in a variety of products‚ including ceramics‚ cosmetics‚ asphalt coating‚ deodorants‚ machinery cleaning and animal food‚ among others.

Choe bought the well-established business‚ then called BFM‚ in 1994. He renamed it Protech Minerals in 1997.

The company‚ located at 17092 D St. in Victorville‚ employs 12 people on site and produces approximately 8‚000 tons of material annually.

Extreme Mall Makeover

The Mall of Victor Valley is undergoing a makeover that will bring the High Desert indoors.

After the installation of a 16-screen theater in late 2006‚ the mall owners embarked on a multi-million-dollar renovation project designed to enhance the facility aesthetically and functionally.

Macerich‚ the mall’s operator‚ is putting in all new flooring‚ installing new ceilings and soft seating‚ among other changes at the 543‚743-square-foot facility. The walls‚ the renovated court areas‚ children’s play area and a mural around the expanded food court will all feature a desert theme.

The shopping experience at the 95-store mall also will be enhanced with a new customer service center‚ improved signs and new women’s‚ men’s and family restrooms.

Mark Halbach‚ general manager of the mall on Bear Valley Road‚ says the upgrades are typical of Macerich properties.

“We buy regional malls in order to redevelop them to make them more suitable for the communities they’re in‚” Halbach says. “We want to make a more pleasant experience for our guests and our tenants.”

A Tasty Tradition

La Casita‚ the Rosales family’s Mexican restaurant‚ is entering its 26th year of operation. The family’s connection with food service stretches back much longer.

Carmen Rosales founded the restaurant in 1981‚ turning the taco stand she operated in the town of Industry into a sit-down restaurant in Victorville. But long before that‚ her grandparents ran a restaurant in Norwalk in the 1950s and ’60s.

That history doesn’t appear on the menu‚ but it’s something diners at the 140-seat restaurant have come to appreciate.

“Our customers know our family. They know they’re going to see our faces‚” says Freddie Rosales‚ Carmen’s son and the current owner.

Specialties include chile relleno‚ a stuffed green pepper‚ and carnitas‚ a simmered pork. But it’s what covering those dishes that sets La Casita apart.

“All our sauces are homemade‚” Freddie Rosales says. “It’s what differentiates us from any other place.”

La Casita is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.-9 p.m. on the weekend.

Story by Dan Markham
Photo by Wes Aldridge

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