Raise A Little Hell, Redux

I’m going to do something that I haven’t ever done on this blog before – I’ll be reprising one of my posts that I wrote on May 3, 2010.  I’m doing this because I thought this post was prescient, given the circumstances Altadena finds itself in now.  However, it’s not going to be a simple cut and paste job, I’m going to fill it in a bit more, to shape it to what’s happening now. So hang on, folks, it started off with a snippet of a song about raising a little hell:

“I never read it in a book,
I never saw it on a show,
but I heard it in the alley
on a weird radio. 
If you want a drink of water,
you got to get it from a well, 
if you want to get to heaven 
you got to raise a little hell......”
----Steve Cash and John Dillon, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, 1973

To me, this song has always been about wanting something enough to fight for it.  It urges us to be vocal about things we care about, maybe make a stir about what you think is important.  Thirty-seven years ago, in 1973, kids all over the world learned to be vocal about things they cared about and people started taking notice.  Things changed because so many young people demanded it.  Opinions were challenged and mind-sets were changed forever.
As I've said before, time is a circle and what goes around, comes around .  People are again starting to stand up for their core values, especially when it comes to issues like affordable medical insurance and state policies on immigration.  People are also becoming more aware about their neighborhoods and local communities, keeping tabs on and working towards their area's fiscal health.  Of course, in this time of financial uncertainty, it's more important than ever to know where your community is headed.  Now, though, I’m uncertain exactly where Altadena is headed – the news of the invasion of WalMart this week has polarized this town and looks to split it right down the middle. 

You can follow the drama on Altadenablog and on AltadenaPatch, on Altadena’s Facebook page, and on our own store’s page.  No, I’m not neutral in this debate.  I feel very strongly about big-box stores in general and WalMart in particular, as my readers know.  I’d like to say a word to my out-of-town friends, if I may – tf your town or city is currently WalMart free, keep it that way.  Keep your local independent businesses in business and never let there be a chink in your armor where they might be able to slip a hook into.  Educate your friends on the value of shopping locally with independent businesses and make sure they know that’s the way to their community’s prosperity.

 Speaking of big box stores, Greg Sweet, one of the commenters on the thread on Altadenablog I've linked above, posted this fabulous cartoon video from JibJab.  Thanks, Greg, for sharing this funny yet truly sad commentary on this fact of American life.....one I think we can change with some education.


 For you locals, don’t forget about this week’s ACONA meeting, on Tuesday the 26^th of June at the Altadena Public Library on Mariposa at 7:00 pm.  Ed Meyers, Daniel Harlow, and I will be there representing the Chamber of Commerce, and we’ll be discussing the Visioning meetings, the retail outlook, and the results of last year’s shopping survey conducted by the COC.   Alex from El Patron will also be speaking, and you won’t want to miss finding out what makes his restaurant so wildly popular and why no other has been able to survive there in years.  Enjoy the week ahead, my friends and we’ll talk again next week!

Lori and Scott

Que Sera Sera

Many times in the past, I've referred to positive changes in Altadena as a "what if".  What if we had the many ammenities that are common in other cities we cherish and envy, such as Sierra Madre.  What if our North Lake Business District were a real town center, with traffic mitigated, building facades upgraded and foot traffic patterns established?  What if our retail shops, groceries and other businesses were more modern and relevant?  What if Altadena, once a thriving destination in the San Gabriel Valley, were to reclaim its renown?

I've asked these questions for several years now, with mixed responses from people I've talked to here and while working in the store.  Back then, most of you were and continue to be enthusiastic about changes; and some not so much.  Over the course of these years, however, I notice people's attitudes changing.  More and more, our community is coming together and change is happening - I can hear it, I can see it and and I can feel it!

The feeling isn't just coming from the anticipation of coming attractions, although that certainly has a part in it - it's the palpable heart beating though our community.  Our town is rich in gifted individuals who are exerting all their efforts into resuscitating Altadena's soul.  Take Altadenablog's Tim Rutt, whose grassroots news blog has partnered with the new Pasadena Sun, giving him the opportunity to reach far more people than ever before and give us coverage we haven't experienced in a long time.  Take the awesomeness that is the Altadena Urban Farmer's Market and their truly unique take on the market concept (even the L.A. Weekly thinks so!).  They're on hiatus right now, but believe me, they'll be back and better than ever!  If that's not enough for you, consider the hugely popular Bulgarini Gelato.  Mentioned in the Los Angeles Times Magazine as one of Los Angeles' iconic eateries, this recent article tells you all you need to know - Altadena is drawing people from outside our borders to visit.  Add that to the draw of our incredible hiking trails, and you've got a destination area waiting to happen!



Compound all this with the planned renovation in Webster's Community Pharmacy.  The new owners, Mike and Meredith Miller will be reinventing the old pharmacy soon and we know it'll be wonderful!  Our store is ready for a rebranding as well.  As new(ish) owners, we've been constrained for some time by circumstances not under our control, but that's changing and changing soon. We plan to be right there with you through all this, my friends, as we take our family store into the future.  The moment is here, and it's undeniable.....the positive changes I told you about all those months ago are imminent.  The groundswell has begun and it will sweep all of us up into it - and I for one, welcome it.  As the old song says, "que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be"......I say bring it!

Have a lovely week ahead and we'll talk again next week,

Lori 'n Scott

Celebrating Altadena!

The holidays are upon us and it was happily evident at Saturday night's North Lake Pole Festival! Everything from the sledding hill with real snow to Santa's cheery presence put fair-goers into a festive frame of mind. Altadenablog at http://www.altadenablog.com has some great photos of all that was going on, so if you weren't there yourself, you can hop right over there and check them out!

This weekend saw two art shows running in conjunction with the Festival - the final ArtBender Weekend at The Gallery At The End Of The World and Altadena Junction's photography exhibit "100-Mile Runners At The Finish Line". Both were outstanding - the photos at the Junction were a powerful experience. One of the proprietors, Marisol Martinez, took part in that race. To see her, photographed just after she ran over that finish line, is to experience the exhilaration of such a thing, if only for a moment. Incredible!

Next week is the Christmas Tree Lane lighting ceremony and with it, another opportunity to rejoice in the uniqueness of Altadena. We'll be there to see those magnificent Deodar cedars lit with their thousands of lights and we hope to see you!

Things are getting mighty holiday-ish at the store. We had a small setback with getting the Christmas trees decorated, however it should all come together these next few days. For retailers, we're seriously behind the prescribed program. I just happen to like Christmas at Christmas, not in July. Can I hear an amen?

Hope you all have a wonderful week, my friends! Don't forget that there are coupons available for use through December on Altadenablog and at the Chamber of Commerce website at http://www.abacus-es.com/altadena We'd love to see you use them!

Lori & Scott

"If You Want To Do Well, Do Good"

These are the words proceeding the write-up on page 26 of the November 2010 issue of Traditional Home magazine's Marketplace feature. The rest goes like this:

"These are words to live by for companies we love. It's our privilege to bring you a beguiling array of products that will not only lighten your heart with their beauty and style but also warm you with the knowledge that a portion of the proceeds goes to a host of worthy causes - from a food bank, youth organizations, cancer research, and the arts to wildlife preservation, education, and the welfare of women. Go forth and shop in good conscience!"

The feature highlights companies who make everything from lighting, art, furniture, gift ware, jewelry and accessories. All of them give a portion of their profit to good causes and I love that idea. I love it so much that I've written a similar credo into our mission statement as part of our business plan.

I don't know how many of you out there are aware of this. I actually look for companies to buy from who do good deeds, who donate to or employ those who are in need. From local to global, the causes range from fighting human trafficking to supporting Tibetan orphans. We also carry a range of fair trade fashion accessories like scarves, jewelry, satchels and leather goods. Local artists are a favorite source of products, as well, which range from greeting cards to jewelry and art.

At WFS we believe in supporting our local economy. Scott and I make a point of patronizing our local eateries at lunchtime. Sure, we could bring our lunches, but we do this in a sense of camaraderie with our fellow business owners. Our crew members also eat at local places whenever they can. We use a local CPA and a local insurance agent, and when we clean our carpets, we'll use a local company to do it. I wouldn't dream of asking you to do something we're not willing to do ourselves.

Just in the last two months, WFS has received 16 requests for donations. Yes, really, 16 individual requests from churches, schools, individuals and various non-profits. Most request the minimum of $150.00 - $250.00 and it goes up from there. It's one of my fondest dreams that we'll one day be healthy enough to donate to all of them. This is what I believe a local business should be doing for their community. I'd like to see all our local businesses working for the common good....all of us working together to make Altadena strong. Let's see if we can't achieve that one day soon, shall we? In the interim, please check out these ongoing conversations on our local newsblogs - it's interesting to read the comments. Please feel free to add your own.

http://altadena.patch.com/articles/a-conversation-with-county-planning-director-richard-bruckner
http://altadena.patch.com/articles/altadenas-no-town-center
http://altadena.patch.com/articles/the-struggle-to-get-altadenans-to-shop-local
http://www.altadenablog.com/2010/10/altadenas-future-bedrooms-and-offices-or-more-shops-and-services-.html#comments
http://altadena.patch.com/articles/sidewalk-signs-eyesores-or-good-for-business

Thank you, my friends.....enjoy the coming week!

Lori & Scott

Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace

Hope all of you are enjoying your Sunday evening and are ready to start a new week. It's certainly been an interesting week over here at WFS! With new merchandise on its way in and coming into the week of Halloween, we're looking forward to getting the fourth quarter shopping season started.

This next week will see Halloween come down and holiday 2010 go up. We're also excited about a few things we've got in the works....there's a book signing with local author Hugh Bonar scheduled for Nov. 13th and a special Thanksgiving wine tasting with our favorite wine experts, Anne L. Bannon and Michael Holland. The date for the wine tasting is yet to be set, but we're thinking November 20th.

I wanted to bring a couple of discussions taking place on other venues that might be of interest to you. Michele Zack, Altadena historian, award-winning author and outstanding citizen, is currently writing a series of articles on Altadenablog, http://wwww.altadenablog.com, dealing with the future of business in Altadena. Simultaneously, in another newsblog, Altadena Patch.com, http://www.altadena.patch.com, has posted an interview with Richard Bruckner, the new planning director for the County of Los Angeles, which details his plans for Altadena. I recommend reading both articles and all the comments....it certainly is an eye-opener! Of course, you'll find my comments there as well, so I'll leave them off the blog. Those of you who've been following me know how I feel about Altadena, know my plans for our business district here and are hopefully aware of the precarious situation for our businesses. I urge you to read both articles and ask that you weigh in with your thoughts. If we don't make our desires known now, then we stand to let others define how our community will develop in the future.

Thank you, my friends.....Scott and I wish you a pleasant week ahead!

Lori & Scott

If You Want To Get To Heaven, You Got To Raise A Little Hell

I never read it in a book,
I never saw it on a show,
but I heard it in the alley
on a weird radio. 
If you want a drink of water,
you got to get it from a well, 
if you want to get to heaven 
you got to raise a little hell......

----Steve Cash and John Dillon
      Ozark Mountain Daredevils, 1973


To me, this song has always been about wanting something enough to fight for it.  It urges us to be vocal about things we care about, maybe make a stir about what you think is important.  Thirty-seven years ago, in 1973, kids all over the world learned to be vocal about things they cared about and people started taking notice.  Things changed because so many young people demanded it.  Opinions were challenged and mind-
sets were changed forever.

As I've said before, time is a circle and what goes around, comes around .  People are again starting to stand up for their core values, especially when it comes to issues like affordable medical insurance and state policies on immigration.  People are also becoming more aware about their neighborhoods and local communities, keeping tabs on and working towards their area's fiscal health.  Of course, in this time of financial uncertainty, it's more important than ever to know where your community is headed.

There were a few things that spurred me to write this blog post.  First was the fact that sales have been down this past month at the store pretty dramatically.  April is traditionally a slow month because of tax time, but I attribute it to more than that.  Economic issues, certainly, but intertwined with that, I've heard, is a general uncertainty about what's going on at Webster's.  If the store were more communicative about all the changes, i.e., if someone other than I talked about it, perhaps  the situation would be better understood..  Until that happens, it leaves Scott, myself and the rest of our crew as the de facto mouthpiece of not just our store, but Webster's in its entirety.  I wish I could give you the answers you want to hear, but I can only tell you that we're all committed to making WFS the best it can be.

Another thing was Altadenablog's posting of this article about Don Thomas' return to Altadena Hardware.  Reading the comments, I noticed a common theme - uncertainty about what was happening there.  Also stated more than once in the comments was a thing I've heard repeatedly since we took over the old stationery department - that the inventory is not as complete as it once was.  I had to leave a comment about that, which you can read at the link above, but I'll paraphrase it simply here.  If patronage drops off, when people stop coming to the store (our store, or any store) because of an ownership change or a change in the economy, that means that the store is not making the money it once did.  Yet the store is still responsible for paying its employees, the taxes and if it can, the rent.  If there's enough left over, it's invested in inventory.  If you don't buy, we can't buy, it's as simple as that....we independent retailers don't have a huge corporation backing us, the way the big-box stores do.  Speaking of big box stores, Greg Sweet, one of the commenters on the thread on Altadenablog I've linked above, posted this fabulous cartoon video from JibJab.  Thanks, Greg, for sharing this funny yet truly sad commentary on this fact of American life.....one I think we can change with some education.

That leads almost perfectly into the third thing that inspired this post.  We had a customer in today, a young man looking at a Moleskine notebook.  The price of the notebook is $21.99.  He asks crewmember Sean Fitz Gerald if we "match prices", which left Sean a bit nonplussed.  I walked over and asked if I could help, and the young gentleman tells me that he could buy this particular specialty notebook off the Internet for $9.00, and could I match that price.  He wants to support local businesses, he said, but it's hard when things are priced higher than big-box stores or the Internet. Where does that extra $10.00 go, he asked....in my pocket?  No, I had to tell him, it certainly doesn't go in my pocket.  Right now, all money received for purchases is going toward paying our employees, keeping our taxes paid and refreshing our core inventory of home office products.  Well, he says, I thought I'd give you the opportunity to earn my business, but I see that you won't work with me.  This young man has now put me in the position where I feel like a highway robber and that I need to justify my prices....even though I know that our margins are deliberately kept to a moderate level.

It's like there's some sort of unwritten law against having your customers familiar with the way retail sales operate.  I say, the more informed you are, the better!  If we in the retail industry were more forthcoming about how we price things, how we buy and what the requirements for retail buying are, we'd have more savvy customers who choose where they shop and recognize what value truly means.  That Moleskine notebook the gentleman asked about cost me about $9.00 to buy....it's also what he wanted me to sell it to him for.  We don't have the customer volume to make it worthwhile to sell things below margin, let alone make no money on it at all.  We do run specials, I told him.....heck, I just spent the evening before handing out 20% off coupons!  Join us on our Facebook Fan page and take adavantage of the promotions there. Become a regular customer and I might be more amenable to working something out  But whatever you do, please realize the value of shopping locally!  Spending your dollars at independent businesses is what keeps the wheels of your town turning!  My employees go out and buy things from other local businesses.  The store buys goods and services from other local businesses, we contribute to our local charities and so on and so on and so on....do you see what I mean?  Now multiply that by the number of independent businesses in your area and you'll see that the amount is substantial.  What if the majority of people in the community shopped locally?  The results would be staggering!  You can actually see how it works at The 3/50 Project and The American Independent Business Alliance.  I urge you to take the time to educate yourself....your community will thank you.

Economic recovery won't really kick in until we jump-start it from the bottom up.  Meaning, help won't come from the top and trickle down, it needs to happen at the lowest rung of the demographic totem pole.... in your local community....and spread upward! Until people realize that spending a few dollars more in locally owned businesses, where the money actually works for the town and isn't sent out of state or even out of the country, we'll continue to face hardship.  I know that some folks out there truly don't care about  things like this.  Like the young man I spoke with, they don't want to be educated, they just want what they want.  He wanted that notebook at $9.00 and was frustrated that I wouldn't "deal" with him.  When I explained that buying off the Internet gives nothing back to his community, he just shrugged. I'm not going to reach everyone, but that's okay.  I'm not trying to reach out to those who don't want to learn, I'm trying to reach out to people who do.  I'm trying to reach out to you!  It's time to raise a little hell, don't you think?

Have a great week, my friends!

Lori & Scott

The Once and Future Store

With apologies to T.H. White, I think the title is quite apropos for what we'll be talking about this week. There's a definite parallel between the Camelot of legend and the community of Altadena and Webster's.

Once vibrant, Webster's exemplified the model of the ideal community store. Offering a variety of unique merchandise, Webster's fulfilled the area's wants and needs and became the ad hoc town center. We involved ourselves in the community and the community repaid us handsomely by patronizing the store - truly a win/win situation for everyone!

Reading through some old town newspapers today, it's evident that Altadena had a thriving business district on North Lake Avenue. Those were prosperous times. Times when you kept your business dollars local. The neighborhood store, the local market, the bakery down the street - all contributed to your well being, as you contributed to theirs. Looking at it as a circle, everyone was contributing together to keep their community economically viable.

As time is wont to do, it passes and leaves great change in its wake. Economics, demographics, shopping habits and tastes have changed drastically since these photos were taken. We've seen the rise of corporate businesses and their bid to take over the world. We've seen its effects on our community. We watch as independently owned businesses struggle for viability and we've watched as some succumb, withering away into memory.

Fortunately, time is a circle. We're now seeing the resurgence of people all across the country wanting to preserve their neighborhoods' individuality. Witness what's happening here in Altadena - the birth of our own Altadena/Pasadena food co-op, the success of the Coffee Gallery Backstage, the Gallery At The End Of The World, Altadena Junction, Amy's Patio Cafe and Bulgarini Gelato. We've seen the enormous popularity of Altadenablog, proving yet again that Altadena wants to be a community connected.

We all have our place in this town and our town is poised on the brink of a phenomenon. As resistant to change as Altadena is, we've taken steps toward a paradigm change - can we swing the pendulum back to prosperity? Scott and I think we can.

Working together, people can move mountains. That's what we're counting on, because we've got great plans ahead. All we need is your support - your desire to direct a positive impact on your community. You can start by directing your dollars locally. It doesn't matter which independently-owned business, just make sure your money stays in the community, where it can do the most good.

We know times are tough right now. What we all need to do, though, is rethink our definition of value. Value is not always the lowest price. Value is what you get for your dollar, like excellent service, quality products and the satisfaction of knowing that what goes out of your pocket and into your community can really help move mountains.

Stay with us as we delve further into our plans for the future, support us as we grow toward it....and have a fabulous week!

Our Facebook Fan Page Tells The Story

Those of you who read my personal Facebook page know that Scott and I have been experiencing a real doozie of a plumbing catastrophe at home. The concrete box that encloses our water meter out in the sidewalk in front of our home is crumbling away and has created a leak in the main water line. DWP turned off our water last Monday evening, just as we were getting home from the store, so we're on day 7 of no water. There's been no response from the City or DWP despite our daily calls. Tomorrow morning we take it to our Councilman's office and hope for resolution.

Challenging as life without water at home may be, business must go on. And so it does, as we enter into Market Week. The California Gift Show starts this Tuesday, as mentioned previously, and we'll be there to see all the new offerings for the season. I'm really looking forward to discovering unique items made here in the U.S. or even better, locally. We get such a charge out of picking products that pass our high standards, and it really is a collaborative process here at WFS. Be sure to join our Facebook Fan Page (simply click the title of this blogpost) for updates from the show and the latest news of what's uber hip and cool!

There's a lot of mention about WFS in the press lately and you can read about that on our Facebook page as well. Noted author Ellen Snortland wrote an article that appeared in the Pasadena Weekly (and will be in the Huffington Post soon) called "Homeland Security" that touts The 3/50 Project and mentions us. Hometown Pasadena and Eat L.A.'s lovely Colleen Dunn Bates just posted an article called "Local Heroes: Retail" on her blog and it mentions us, too! And our own Altadenablog reported on WFS' donation to Danny's Farm last week. A huge thank you from WFS to all our supporters - we appreciate you so much!

Until next week (when I can hopefully report that water has been restored to our household),

Lori

Local Blogs Worthy of Note and Winter Festival Update

As promised in my last post, let me offer you some information on local sites and blogs that are, in my opinion, some of the best. Informative, amusing and such a great compliation of the culture of Altadena, these sites are waiting for you to discover them (if you already haven't). Read on, intrepid readers, and find a new sources of information, news, entertainment or historical facts....an entire world of the written word awaits!

Altadenablog, http://www.altadenablog.com Altadena's one-stop source for community news and opinion. If you want to keep up with what's happening in Altadena, this is the site for you! The site's author, Tim Rutt, was honored recently by Los Angeles County for Altadenablog's coverage of the Station Fire.

Altadena Above It All, http://altadenaaboveitall.com
Debbie Swanson Patrick, author, photographer and artist, says it best herself: "this blog is dedicated to capturing the life, history, preservation and improvement battles, the wildlife (animals included!), talent, beauty and magic that is in these foothills." We love helping her celebrate Altadena and we hope you do, too.

Altadena Hiker, http://www.altadenahiker.blogspot.com
Karin Bugge's View From The Trail, a glimpse into the life of this local resident who tells it like she sees it. A talented writer, Karin is funny, witty and spot-on!

One excellent perk about being a blogger is that you get to share other wonderful blogs with your readers. There are so many excellent local blogs in our area and I'll be pointing out more in future posts. Hopefully by then I will have figured out what's wrong with my Blogger account and why it won't let me attach live links. On now to exciting local news!



Altadena Arts Coalition Presents
The North Lake Pole Shop-Hop and Winter Festival


Come join the Altadena Arts Coalition and your local merchants on Saturday, December 12th, for an evening of holiday merriment and civic pride! Rediscover all Altadena has to offer by visiting the participating merchants and businesses, who are awaiting your arrival with seasonal treats and goodies. Collect stars on your map and once filled, you are eligible for entry into a drawing for wonderful prizes!

Set to start right after the lighting of Christmas Tree Lane , the AAC will host sledding in REAL snow in Galloway Alley, live music and a visit from Holly Jolly Wally! There will be food vendors in case you get hungry….John from O Happy Days will be serving hot soup, The Coffee Gallery will be serving hot coffee & tea, Park Bench Deli will be making tacos, Steve's Bike Shop is serving hot chocolate and Altadena's own Dip Me In Chocolate will be offering their decadent goodies. Stroll along the North Lake Pole Ave., greet your friends and neighbors and enjoy that good old fashioned Christmas spirit! Webster's Fine Stationers will be showcasing their holiday décor and will be serving hot apple cider, treats and a surprise guest. Webster's Pharmacy and Webster's Liquor will be serving soft-serve ice cream and Photography by Walt is hosting “Capture the World”, an exciting photo exhibit. The Gallery At The End Of The World will also be hosting an art exhibit you won't want to miss. This is a great opportunity to get out and see what makes Altadena so special. Get set to have a great time on the 12th …..we'll be waiting for you!