Sunday, January 6, 2013

2012 Retrospective And Ruminations On 2013

"There are places I'll remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life, I've loved them all.....
 
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them"
 
---The Beatles, Rubber Soul
 
 
2012 was an incredible year here in Altadena, and, if you wonder what such a year would look like, I'll refer you to this informative Altadenablog article.  We've written here about several of these events, including the most controversial of them, which is the issue of Walmart in Altadena.  While we will continue to oppose the Behemoth from Betonville locating here, there is also truth in what Tim says in his article: "But, while we have issues with Walmart as a corporation, we also don't think it's the big enemy of Altadena businesses: Pasadena is, and the internet is.  An emphasis on buying local -- and Altadena businesses providing reasons to buy local -- is what is really needed."
 
While I was stationed at the Altadena Farmer's Market (another hotbed of controversy, amazingly enough - see Joseph Shuldiner's rebuttal of Altadenablog's assertion that they aren't responsive to the community), it was gratifying to talk with a number of people who shop at our store there. One conversation stood out, though, and it was with a woman named Amy, who I'd had an online go-'round with a couple years ago about our store.  She stopped at our booth, greeted me and introduced herself, then said, "I was quite pleased that this year I was able to accomplish my holiday shopping locally - between you and the pharmacy, I got just about everything I needed!"  That was wonderful to hear, and I'm so glad that Amy was pleased.  I think that if more people tried shopping locally, they might be very surprised and pleased, too!
 
While we are nostalgic for what once was in Altadena, hence the Beatles' song at the head of this post, I feel we can't lose sight of what the possibilities are for our future.  Besides Walmart, and the Farmer's Market, there are lots of things changing the landscape of our fair town. One of those things is the recent sale of the Webster's complex by my father-in-law, the majority shareholder of the family corporation.  We were informed of the sale not long before the Christmas holiday, and still aren't aware of the details, save that the entire property has been sold to a developer.  The property is now in escrow and as soon as we know more, we'll let you know.  It's never a good thing to live without clarity; to exist in limbo; and to not know for sure what we'll be doing a few months down the road (makes planning ahead very difficult, no?); but we're being patient and hoping for the best possible outcome.
 
Of course, the best possible outcome would be to continue serving our community, in conjunction with the other businesses in the immediate area. It's always been my contention that a walkable, communal, and very special shopping area could be developed here, and if you've read this blog for any length of time, or listened to the video we produced with the help of local HalfCity Productions, you'll know this. Perhaps the year 2013 might be a year of positive change in Altadena - let's hope so!
 
We hope you had an inspiring and invigorating holiday season, friends!  Have a great week ahead, and we'll talk next week,

Lori and Scott




 
 
 
 

4 comments:

Georgia said...

Lori, I will think only positive thoughts for your situation. You & Scott have worked too hard these years to have anything bad happen! I am considering 2013 to be a lucky year.

Just a tidbit- the Beatle song you mentioned happens to be one of my very favorites- in fact I played it at my wedding because of the the line "in my life, I love you more".

Unknown said...

Thank you, Georgia, we appreciate the good thoughts!

The song is one of my favorites, too....

Petrea Burchard said...

I, too, hope for the best possible outcome. I hope it's what you want, and best for all.

Unknown said...

Thank you, Petrea! We're keeping a positive outlook, and hopefully the buyer has done good research on Altadena.