Celebrating The Grand Paternal

What we're looking at here is a  copy of a page from an Altadena Chamber Of Commerce-sponsored soft backed book called "Altadena Welcomes You", printed around 1935 by the Altadena Press.  This particular page details Webster's Pharmacy, but more importantly, gives a picture of the founder, Harold Frank Webster.  Frank, as his friends called him, had moved up to Altadena from the orange groves that his father owned in South Pasadena.  While attending USC for his doctorate, Frank took a job at a pharmacy on Lake and Mariposa, and bought it from the original owner in 1926.

Mid-Summer Newsletter & Back To School Special

Earlier this morning, I tried to copy and paste our newsletter onto Blogger but it didn't work so I tried deleting it.  I'm afraid, though, that a link went out anyway, and for that, I'm sorry.  Let's try that again and we'll be back next week with our regular blog posts!


WFS' Mid-Summer Newsletter & Back To School Special

Dear Friends,

We find ourselves at that bitter-sweet junction of summer where we look toward sending the kids back for another exciting semester of school.  We'll explain how we can help you save time and money in the article below.  WFS carries much needed office essentials, too - most of them made out of recycled materials and made right here in the United States - come see us instead of "running down the hill"!  With gas prices still on the increase, it only makes sense to shop locally.

Scott and I attended the California Gift show recently what a show it was!  So many great things we're finding that are American made or made by local companies.  Look for these exciting new products to be delivered from now though the fall season!  We're also in the planning stages with several Altadena artists, and we can expect to see their creations in store soon. 

Things are heating up in Altadena - not just from the summer heat, but from all the great events going on around town!  Never say there's nothing to do here.  From the wonderful Concerts In The Park series from the Sheriffs Support Group to individual events put on by local businesses, there's a whole garden of activities available to enjoy.  This month will see our next Fancy Food Truck Fridays, a joint venture with Webster's Community Pharmacy and Webster's Liquor, on August 12th.  Our wonderfully intimate, humorous and delicious Wine Tastings With OddBallGrape.com's Anne Bannon and Michael Holland continue this month, on August 20th.  Scroll down for all the pertinent information on both events!

July was an incredible month, with such an outpouring of caring and love, exhibited through our collection of canned food items for Friends In Deed! It started early on in July and stemmed from this article in the Pasadena Star News. We'd like to thank them for their help passing the message along with this article and thank you all for answering the call.  We now have a huge box of food that we'll donate to them this week - well done, Altadena!  Just a note to remind you that we take donations of those small toiletries received at hotels or travel-sized, unused toiletries for All Saints Church all year 'round, as well as monetary donations for the Bright Future Scholars via the "Dollars For Scholars" collection jars - look for these collection spots next time you're in the store.

Speaking of good deeds, who hasn't heard about Altadena's canine hero, Brave Paco, the chihuahua that's taking a bite out of crime!  He's ten pounds of lean, mean, burglar-chasing muscle and we're glad he's patrolling the streets of the North Lake Business District!  Your chance to meet Paco and his owner is coming up at the next Fancy Food Truck Friday event - you don't want to miss this paw-tograph op!

We hope to see you soon!

Lori & Scott Webster

Stay Local & Save!  WFS' Back To School Special
It's the time of year for getting your children ready to get back into the swing of the new school season!  We know that times are challenging and that you're all pressed for time, so we're offering you a way to shop locally and save.  From August 1st through the 31st, when you spend $50.00 on back to school items, you'll save 25% - that's our employee discount plus 5%! That's $37.50 for $50.00 worth of school necessities! Tell your friends and neighbors and forward this email to them, so everyone can take advantage of this historic savings opportunity!

From binders and notebooks, to filler paper, composition books, index cards, pencils, pens, erasers, rulers, scissors, crayons, protractors and everything in between, Back To School shopping has never been easier or more fun.  Sip a cup of ice cold lemonade, have a cookie and listen to our classic oldies playing in the background, WFS is THE place for buying your school essentials!  We defy you to find better service anywhere else! This year, we even have paper book covers - yes, we finally found someone who makes these, and they're on our shelves now!
 

Fancy Food Truck Fridays!

Great Eating, Community Style                            
Every 2nd Friday of the month we have at least six different Fancy Food Trucks in the Webster's parking lot.  A community favorite since its inception in February, everyone looks forward to greeting friends at our tables where everyone eats family-style!  Brave Paco, Altadena's canine crime fighter will be making an appearance so you won't want to miss this opportunity for a paw-tograph!

Our event this month is on Friday, August 12th, from 5:00 pm until 9:00, and the Shops At Webster's will be open for your enjoyment.  Each shop has it's own ambiance, entertainment and/or specials, so please come in and enjoy it all before or after you eat! 

This month's Fancy Food Trucks are:

Grill 'em All ( Great Food Truck Race winners!)

India Jones

Greenz On Wheelz, a perennial favorite

Hungry Nomad

Shrimp Pimp

A Rockin Ice

Look for the event announcement on our Facebook page soon to see what's happening that evening inside the store!


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Believe In Change

As I sit here and type, I'm reflecting on the two days Scott and I took off of work because of Carmegeddon.  While it was fun to putter around the house we see so little of, we found ourselves antsy about not being there.  It's a funny feeling to be away from the business you're running, especially these days, but I'm glad for a little bit of distance.  Perspective is good as is planning, and we did some of both this weekend. 

As we were discussing the very real need for increased business in our store, Scott mentioned some of the online reviews he's read about Webster's, and the many comments he's heard over the years from the store's customers.  He says that the general consensus of opinion about the store was this statement: "If you can't find it anywhere else, you'll be able to find it at Webster's".  No matter what "it" was, people thought that you could find it here.  He's also heard people sat repeatedly "I went to ____ and ____ and couldn't find it, but you have it!"  Scott asked me this question - "Where would Webster's be today if people would've come here first?  Why, if in the majority's mind, we carried everything, didn't they come to us first?"

That's a question that isn't simple to answer and is a moot point anyway, as the pharmacy business is owned by a different family now.  The aura of the Webster's of old still affects us all today, however.  Change is never comfortable, especially with a store that's been in the community so long.  One whose cachet was fading, maybe, and one who was a last resort shopping destination, but was one who was still there - safe and predictable.

Now the game's changed and the store is not the same as it was.  Times have changed, as we all know, and shopping habits are in flux.  The wholesalers who supply what our old store offered are getting more and more difficult for small, independent retailers like us to work with.  The minimum purchase is getting higher and their short terms are not negotiable.  Some small office supply and business product manufacturers have gone out of business altogether, which gives the impression that we've chosen not to carry that item anymore.  All of this together doesn't exactly smack of confident retailing and our dwindling sales are proving it true - you can't sell it if you don't have it.

All of us here at Webster's need your support, because all of us want to be strong enough to support you, the community.  With the anticipated revitalization of the pharmacy, we are placing our hope in your continued goodwill and trust.  Trust us that we intend to bring you the very best shopping experience we can.  Both Scott and I are working with Michael and Meredith to support their efforts to accomplish this because we believe.  We believe in ourselves, our crew and our talents.  Let us show you what we can do - be a supporter of positive change and tell a friend about us!  Your good word of mouth is more powerful than a thousand dollars worth of advertising, so go tell someone about us or share this post - we deeply appreciate it!

Thank You....Thank You Very Much!

These days, it's very easy to forget the word "thank you".  The picture above is a book we sell at the store and it reminded me that I need to be more aware of what I'm grateful for.  I'm grateful for my family, for my friends and for everything that the Lord has granted me in life thus far.  Both Scott and I are grateful for the chance to bring our dreams to reality, even though the road seems unpaved and perilous.  Most of all, we're grateful to you!  Every day, we welcome the opportunity to delight you, so here's a big thank you from us to you!

Have a wonderful week, my friends!

Lori & Scott

Dollars For Scholars!*

WFS Grand Re-Opening Notice In Pasadena Star News, Sept. 27, 2008

This little blurb made it into the Pasadena Star News back in September of 2008, and was about the only mention of our "new" store ever in print when ownership changed.  Although it's hard to make out, the bottom of the paragraph shows that we dedicated a portion of the day's proceeds to The Quality Of Life Center, of which the Bright Future Scholar program is a part of.  This was the start of our wonderful relationship with the visionary head of the Center, Dr. Sandra Thomas, and her entire staff.

As I mentioned on our store's Facebook page this morning, Scott and I were honored to attend the graduation ceremony of the Bright Future Scholars, held this afternoon at the Pasadena Convention Center.  I say honored, because this is such an incredible program for high achieving school kids who would otherwise be unable to take advantage of such opportunities.  In academic achievement, the Bright Futures Scholars Support Program, when compared to others with similar demographics, ranks at the top state-wide.  100% of the seniors enrolled in the program go on to enroll in college.  Today's graduating seniors are going to a variety of top colleges, including Harvard, Columbia, USC, UCLA and UC Santa Cruz  - and we couldn't be prouder of them!

It costs nothing but high grades to become part of the Bright Future Scholars.  It does cost quite a bit, however, to mentor those kids and take them on the yearly retreat to Washington, D.C., or to Sacremento, CA.  It costs a lot to make sure there are people from the Center ready to help whomever needs it, whenever they need it.  It costs the students themselves, and their families who have little to spare, a tidy sum to attend college and to provide for living and school expenses as well.  When the question of who would like to pledge a scholarship for a Bright Future Scholar graduate in 2012, Scott and I had to step up!

We pledged not just one $500.00 scholarship - we pledged two!  One scholarship will be from Webster's of Altadena, in honor of the Webster family's long tradition of service to the Altadena community.  The other will be in honor of my grandfather, Dr. Robert I. Elliott, who was Superintendent of Schools, State of Nebraska, Broken Bow County and was later president of Chadron State College for 40 years.  Chadron State College is celebrating their 100 year anniversary this year. 

As you can see by my family's history, education is important to us.  It's even more important that those who are doing well in school be able to go on, despite their economical or situational challenges.  You know I've been saying that our businesses should all be working together toward a healthy community, and making sure that our non-profits stay viable is a top priority.  No longer can we think of ourselves only - I advocate for a more holistic approach.  That's why we're putting our money where our mouth is.  Now, we've got to get busy and make enough so that we can honor (there's that word again!) our commitment.

In other news, this next Saturday is our monthly wine pairing event with OddBallGrape.com.  This time it's "Cabs For Dads And Grads" and we'll highlight different combinations of Cabernet Sauvingon with grilled meat (or grilled vegetable) sliders.  Amy's Patio Cafe will be providing the sliders and there will be much merriment as we learn which wine tastes best with what!  Mark your calendars now - the fun starts at 4:00 pm and lasts until 7:00 pm - a whole hour later than we normally close.  If you haven't been to one of our wine tastings, you're really missing out - Anne Bannon and Mike Holland of OddBallGrape.com are lively, funny and extremely knowledgeable about the vino!

Have a fabulous week ahead, my friends!

*We have collection jars in our store, at each register, for customers to drop their change into, to benefit The Quality Of Life Center.  Please make it a point to drop yours in next time you're at the store - we appreciate it!

Community At The Table

We're celebrating the fifth Fancy Food Truck Fridays this week and in honor of the occasion, I'd like to take you on a little history trip - one that looks at food truck origins, their sudden  burgeoning popularity and the way food binds us as humans together.

One of the earliest pioneers of mobile kitchens, entrepreneur Charles Goodnight, was primarily a famous Texas rancher.  Deemed the "Father of the Texas Panhandle", Mr. Goodnight was also a banker, silver miner and the founder of a college, among many other things (entrepreneurs back in those days were serious multi-taskers and were themselves most likely the model for today's venture capitalists).  In 1866, Mr. Goodnight saw the need for food-on-the-go for his ranch hands as they worked the cattle drives and thus, the "chuckwagon" was born. 

Of course, food vendors had been on crowded city streets since time immemorial.  From ancient Greece and Rome to Paris' storied Monmartre, purveyors of salty, savory, sweet and spicy deliciousness from carts abounded.  The genius of Mr. Goodnight's invention was putting size into the food cart equation and making it a place where food was prepared and cooked.  First the patrons of the chuckwagon were the cowboys of the day, then others followed suite and the ubiquitous lunch wagon (more commonly known as the roach coach) was born.

                                                   

Fast forward to 2008, when Mark Manguera, a Filipino married to a Korean woman, his sister Alice Chin and  friend, chef Roy Choi, started Kogi BBQ Taco Truck.  Mark's concept of Korean barbeque (or Bool Kogi) in a taco, arrived at while drinking with friends, took off like lightening and today's gourmet food truck was born.  And what a platform it's been, and continues to be, for the enterprising entrepreneur, and how exciting it is for us to experiment with these new recipes! 

As humans, we are hard-wired to gather around good food.  Again, from ancient times to modern, community is found around a dining table.  Breaking bread is one of the oldest human tradition and we all hold true to that psychological imprint.  This is why all of us here at The Shops at Webster's host Fancy Food Truck Fridays.  We hope that by providing this communal experience, Altadena will be enriched.  Enriched by more people connecting, laughing......eating......together.  From our house to yours,  we hope you'll enjoy yourselves this Friday night.  Come by, say hello to your friends and neighbors and meet someone new - maybe even browse in the shops and meet us!  We'll be waiting for you.....

Enjoy the week ahead, my friends!

Lori and Scott

Survivial In The "Post-WalMart" Era?

The retail pundits have coined a new phrase.  We are now living in what they're referring to as the "post-WalMart era".  Why are they calling it that, you might wonder, as  I did. After conducting a bit of research about the subject, I discovered that WalMart just reported its seventh straight quarter of declining sales in their U.S. stores.  Same store sales for 2010 were down .8%.  Although .8% isn't a terrible number, it's the cumulative effects of seven consecutive reported losses that gives us clear signal that's all is not well with the retail giant.

Their decline has cleared the field for many other retailers, such as TJ Maxx, Target, Kohl's and Dollar Tree.  If you notice, all those names don't include any independent retailers, only corporate-owned big box stores.    How will the "decline" of WalMart affect us independents in the immediate and near future?  In my humble (or not) opinion, it won't have much of an effect on us at all.  Each one of the stores mentioned specializes in discounted merchandise.  Independent retailers don't.  As I just explained to a customer not 3 minutes ago, when she questioned our $8.99 per ream price for printer paper, we don't get the same buying price as Staples does.  We don't get corporate kickbacks or any cooperative benefits for buying products or advertising.  We don't have the benefit of large tax loopholes we can rely on to defray our costs.  What we do have going for us is the very real and tangible benefits to your community's fiscal health.  We do have the ability to help answer your questions when you have one and we have the ability to make the decision to help our local non-profits, should we be asked to.  No one at any of those corporate stores mentioned above has that ability at store level.  But does that make us a more popular destination than they are?  I'm afraid not.

The huge amount of money behind their advertisements practically guarantees them a large market share.  Independents generally don't have any way to match that budget, and most can't get anywhere near it.  The best that some of us can do in the way of marketing is on the Internet, via vehicles such as Facebook, where very often the only cost is the time & effort put into it.  If you work it right, have engaging content and make it a destination by offering something your followers deem valuable, you can gather people that may hear what you have to say.  Then, there's always the chance that they won't hear you and there's always the fact that a good percentage of  people don't use the internet.

That's what we're faced with here in Altadena.  There are many people who either don't have access to a computer or just plain refuse to have anything to do with them.  That's when word-of-mouth advertising comes in.  We try to rely on positive word-of-mouth to fill the gaps in what our internet-based marketing does, but what do you do when that can't be trusted?  Isn't that a scary situation? 

Yesterday, I had a phone call from an elderly customer, asking if we were closing.  "No", I replied, "we don't close until 6:30 p.m., ma'am". "No, no, I mean are you CLOSING....you know, going out of business?"  Oh.  That question again.  I hadn't heard it for over a year now, so it really threw me.  "I'm sorry, ma'am, but where did you hear that?" I asked.  "Oh, just around", she replies.  "We're not going out of business, ma'am, and I'd really like to know where you heard that bit of information".  "Just through the grapevine", was the elusive answer.  Sigh.  The grapevine has been quiet, like I said, for over a year now.....I thought.  Apparently I was wrong.

People don't really think when they repeat information they're not absolutely sure of.  I know I've done it in the past, but now I stop and think who I could be hurting by passing along erroneous information.  If we all just stopped a minute and thought about it, I'm sure the majority of us would stop as well.  Or better yet, if the information you're not sure about is about a place, or person, go see them.  Go there and see if it's true before passing it along and spreading rumors that might actually harm them.  People might not feel as strongly about my businesses as I do, but we all need to realize, especially in these tough economic times, that there are employees here who depend on their salaries.  Bad word-of-mouth and rumors only discourages patronage, and if we don't have enough customers buying things from us, we can't pay them.  We're not privately funded.  So please, faceless woman on the phone, or anyone else reading this, don't feed the rumor mill.  We're open, we're in business.....come in and see us!

Have a wonderful week ahead, my friends.....Passover and Easter blessings to you, and we'll be taking Easter Sunday off.  We'll talk again the week following!

Lori & Scott

Letting Go

Back in October of 2007, when Scott and I bought the former Stationery department of Webster's Pharmacy as a stand alone store, we were excited at the prospect of shaping the store to our vision.  We wanted to make a difference in our community and beyond by becoming a true community shop - a place where people know you by name, where you could feel comfortable.  But more than that, we wanted to highlight the diversity and the creativity of the Altadena community.  To do that, we began carrying books written by area authors.  We've now got so many that I've had to cut back on my buying until we find a better way to display them.

Our friends at the Altadena Library on Mariposa St. knows all about local authors, too.  They have some of the best readings by our local writers and one of those readings was yesterday.  Called Poetry & Cookies, the event had a line up of many local poets, each given approximately 2 minutes to recite a poem or part of one.  Our friend Barbara Ackermann brought me the book complied by the Library of the poems by the writers who participated.  She had been there, reciting some of the haiku she's written.  I've been having an online conversation with another author, Dr. Thelma T. Reyna, about the event and my desire to get back into writing poetry.  I've long known that writing can be cathartic, but have been so busy that the urge to write is pretty much fulfilled by this blog and Facebook.  However, with reading the book of complied poetry from the Library event, I was inspired to devote some time to writing.

Know that I'm a seat-of-the-pants writer, as witnessed by this blog.  I have no time to spend in prolonged planning of what to write each week  Somehow, an issue or inspiration usually appears and I use it and knock out my ramblings pretty quickly.  Same with poetry, which I've been writing since...well, forever.  I remember in 5th grade, I wrote a poem for Halloween and was never more chagrined when my teacher, Mrs. Maurer, made me get up in front of the class and read it.  I thought I was going to die then and there, but I survived and so did the poem.  In fact, I used most of it in the store's October 2009 Halloween event invitation, here, but in truth, I haven't written much of anything very creative in a long while. Why?  Because the past three and a half years have not been good to us.  As much as we've wanted to change the store to follow our vision, we've met very strong headwinds, most astonishingly from family members. With so much rage and pain simmering in me, how could I write anything worth merit?  I'll let you decide for yourself.....

                                                         LETTING GO

Hello, old friend, she says,

Addressing pen to paper,

it’s been too long, she thinks,

Trepidatiously touching tip to surface.

Let it go to move forward

they say, without knowledge of

how closely held the hurt,

oblivious of the pain endured.

She’s afraid to proceed

scared to open the dam

of feelings, afraid of the purge

afraid to lose her battle honed armor.

How to let go, she wonders,

to jettison the betrayals

and move past false promises

into the realm of possibility?

Thoughts swirl like ribbons

Around a bowl of water, swirling

down into courage –  the courage she

forgot she had - hello, old friend.

----Lori Webster

Have a great week ahead, my friends!


Lori & Scott

Spring-ing Forward

This past week was chock-full of things happening (as usual around here).  Boxes of new products to check in and put out; people to see and places to go!  It's amazing I remember my name when Scott and I finally get home at night.  But when we do get home, after I've made dinner and I'm reflecting on the day, I always count my blessings.  My blessings include our wonderful customers and readers of this blog (that's you), and they also include heartfelt hopes that all of you are faring well.

We've got a full week ahead of us, as well.  Fancy Food Truck Fridays will be at the end of the week on April 8th and it usually takes all week to get this event together.  Of course, the Spring holidays are approaching, and we'll be celebrating them a little later in the month.  We'll have our yearly Spring Coloring Contest starting on April 11th, so drop by the store to pick up coloring pages for the kids to color.  Return the completed drawings to the store and we'll display them for all to admire, then we'll pick 3 winners.  Winners will be announced at our annual Spring Celebration Event, and they will each be rewarded with a fabulous prize Easter basket.  The Easter Bunny will make an appearance, along with plenty of goodies to munch on....it's a party you won't want to miss!

We've been talking a lot about how an independent small business, such as our retail store, can contribute to the fiscal health of their communities.  There are many ways this can be accomplished, but one very popular way is through donations to our local non-profits and schools. We can also help by not just donating directly (which we do) but by facilitating donations from the public (that would be you).  This week, there will be a box to collect your "gently used" items of clothing, purses, hats, belts, dishware, audio and visual equipment, small appliances, holiday decorations, giftware, etc.  You see, Central Altadena Little Leaguers have partnered with Goodwill of Southern California and are collecting for them.  They asked if we could help, and we said sure!  So, in turn, we ask that you take a look around your home and see if there's anything you need to get rid of, that your kids have outgrown or that you're no longer using.  Drop it off here so we can give it to CALL and they can give it to the Goodwill.  Your gifts will help raise funds for their children's sports program, as well as help Goodwill continue their many programs that enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities or other disadvantages by providing education, training and job opportunities.  You can make space in your home in addition to helping your community....I'd call that a win/win!

Have a great week, my friends!

Lori & Scott

History Lessons

As Women's History Month winds down to the last few days, I'm amazed at what an eventful month it's been.  The horrible disaster in Japan and the deaths of icons Elizabeth Taylor and Geraldine Ferraro have struck a chord in our hearts this month. Catastrophe and loss surround us on a daily basis and women the world over take it in stride, as we always have.  The circle of life, emanating from woman - the struggle, the toil, all the joy and pain - ending, only to begin again.

This is what we do, all of us women.  The givers and sustainers of life, most of us deserving of headlines yet moving through our lives unheralded.  My friend, Roberta Martinez, posted a question today on Facebook.  She asked who were the women who've most influenced your life.  I enjoyed reading the various responses posted.  It was a great question and I haven't stopped thinking of which women have influenced my life, whether they were historical figures, family or celebrities.  This is how I answered Roberta's question:

The women who've influenced my life are Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mother Theresa, Marlo Thomas, Eleanor Roosevelt, Elizabeth Taylor. In my own family, the first women I knew who left their indelible impression on the child I was were:
1. My paternal grandmother, Anne L. Babcock Elliott, who taught college-level Latin
2. My maternal great-grandmother, who raised my mom and her 4 siblings after their parents died and still ran a tea-house in Iowa
3. My mother, who overcame rheumatoid arthritis as a child, had considerable health problems as a young woman and had a complete hysterectomy in the 1930s. She married my dad (7 yrs her junior) in 1947 and waited on a list for 10 years to adopt me in 1957, when she was 47 years old. She fought with my father to go to work in the early 1970s and fought cancer for 16 years until she died at 83 in 1994. She worked until she was 80.
4. My birth mother, whoever she was, who had the good sense to know she couldn't take care of me and put me up for adoption to a couple who could.

I like my answer, but as I continue to think about it, there's one woman that I left out.  A woman who I never met, and don't know that much about, but who had a hand in guiding the business that Scott and I are involved in now.  That woman was Scott's paternal grandmother.  The wife of Harold Webster, the founder of Webster's Pharmacy.  You see, Harold died when Scott's dad was only 19.  She had the responsibility of running the store after the death of her husband, and also assumed the task of seeing that her children who worked the business were properly trained on how to actually run it.

That she did a good job of that goes without saying.  The store was very successful for many, many years.  I'd like to give her the recognition here that I can't find any mention of anywhere else.  She has inspired both Scott and I to continue the heritage of Webster's and constantly strive to bring you the best.  We'd like you to join with us in acknowledging a true Altadena pioneer.....thank you, Mrs. Webster!

One For All And All For One....Sustainablity In Altadena Or Anywhere

When I mentioned "slow money" last week, I imagine many were scratching their heads, wondering what I was talking about.  SlowMoney.org was founded by Woody Tasch, a pioneer in merging investing and philanthropy.  Slow Money's mission is to build local and national networks, and develop new financial products and services, dedicated to:

• investing in small food enterprises and local food systems;
• connecting investors to their local economies; and,
• building the nurture capital industry.

:  At their recent Healthy Money Summit, the topics they went over included:

• Earning and spending habits that liberate your time and passion for your real life’s work
• Investment strategies that favor the triple bottom line and sustainable business practices
• How to practice the state of being that favors generosity and sharing over hunkering down
• New currencies that favor connection and community over hoarding and lack
• New economies that favor Main Street over Wall Street, and prioritize community well-being as the new bottom line
• Developing a new money spirit of “enough for all,” rather than “winner takes all”

A healthy economy, healthy habits and healthy attitudes toward money are possible, as are healthy retail practices.  Here at Webster's Fine Stationers, our own mission statement encompasses these ideas and determines our purpose on a daily basis.

So how can a retail store (or any independent business) affect positive changes in their community? Research shows that if you shift a portion of your spending from national chains and the Internet to independent locally-owned and operated businesses, you can have a dramatic effect on your local economy.  That’s because a significantly greater portion of the money you spend with local businesses stays in your community. This means more money for roads, schools, services and jobs. A small change in the way you shop can have a big impact on your community.

In addition, cooperation between our business owners also makes a huge impact on the community.  Take, for example, the cooperation between Winsome's Pretty Woman on Marcheta Alley and WFS.  We gladly display a few hats from Charmain's store here so other people will see them.  We will sell these hats for her and gladly give her full proceeds.  We display other business' cards and information at our community table, and we all patronize local businesses here on North Lake. We sell Christmas Tree Lane Association's merchandise and they receive 75% of the proceeds. We eat brunch weekly at Amy's Patio Cafe and have lunch during the week at El Patron and Everest.  We take our clothes that need dry cleaning to Merit, use Ms. Dragon and the Manning Press for our printing needs.  We have a local accountant and insurance brokers.  I personally use our Facebook fan page to highlight other local business, because I believe that we should all be doing this for each other.  Imagine the impact on our community if we all did this for each other!

It wasn't all that long ago that business was pretty cut-throat on Main Street, USA.  You did for yourself and no one else.  Back in the day here in Altadena, the old kingpins of commerce locked themselves in as such and we're experiencing the backlash of it today.  The parking regulations that everyone bemoans is a direct result of such dealings.  Times have changed and the old ways of doing business are no longer working. These days, we must adopt more sustainable and cooperative practices if we're going to survive. Webster's Fine Stationers is elated to be on the forefront of this movement.  We invite you to climb aboard and make a difference here in this community, or in your own community....it can only get better from here.

Enjoy your week, my friends, and a very happy Spring to everyone!

Slow Retail

Reviewing History For The Future

Today was one of those rare days for us. Because it's traditionally super slow on Superbowl Sunday, we decided not to open the store and were able to stay home and relax. Scott got to putter around his poor, neglected garden and cut back our old-growth roses. I got to clean up a bit and get to the neighborhood pet store like I've been meaning to do all week. Then we went to the Superbowl halftime festivities and commercials at my daughter's home in Santa Monica.

It was nice to have a day of rest....of not fighting traffic or worrying that the animals won't get fed on time or if we have time to stop at the grocery store because we're out of something. Most of all, it was nice to just relax and have some fun with family. While we haven't, and won't, close on Sundays very often, this day was very much appreciated.

Because of our relatively store-free day, I thought I'd give myself a little blogging break, too. I rethought that, though, because there's some things I wanted to mention. Next Friday's Fancy Food Truck Fridays is one of them. All of us here at Webster's hope you'll be able to stop by to check it out and do a little late-night shopping....we'll be open until 9:00 p.m.! OddBallGrape.com's Anne Bannon and Michael Holland will be here pairing Champagne and various dessert wines with chocolate, perfect for a warm up to Valentines Day!

It'll be great time to meet Mike and Meredith Miller, the new owners of Webster's Pharmacy. Find out what their plans are for the renovation of the pharmacy. Then stroll down to WFS and come meet us! Find out what we're all about and our plans to work with the community. Scott and I are looking forward to meeting you and seeing old friends. I'd like to leave you with this link to a story our friend Petrea Burchard, of the Pasadena Daily Photo blog, wrote about us way back in September of 2008. We'd been the new owners of the former Stationery department at Webster's for almost exactly one year when she wrote this. Maybe you didn't read it back then, so here's your chance to do so. I think it gives some perspective on the changes at Webster's, and would like to extend my thanks to Petrea once again for the post. http://pasadenadailyphoto.blogspot.com/2008/09/change.html

Have a fabulous week, my friends....hope to see you on Friday night!

Hope For Christmas - A Holiday Tale

Once upon a time, there was a small pharmacy located in a town just outside of a large city. The people it served were happy and, like in many small towns, most everyone knew everyone else.

As time passed, the little pharmacy grew. Operated now by the son of the founder, it matured into several different departments, each one connected to the other. The people could buy greeting cards and gifts; they could peruse the magazines or eat at the lunch counter. They might wander through and decide they needed a pen; there was a place to mail your letters and ship your packages. The townspeople rejoiced, for there were no other stores like it for miles around. The son of the founder rested, thinking no store compared.

As he was resting, nefarious businessmen plotted and schemed and opened a new type of store. This new store, the SuperStore, was a breakthrough in the land! Groceries, home goods and office needs - all in one place and at low, discount prices! Why go anywhere else, when this new store was sort of convenient and the prices so alluring?

The townspeople now rejoiced in the new store. The SuperStore was the place to be, they had all the stuff - but there was something missing. The son of the founder of the little pharmacy, now a big, grown-up store, wondered why the townspeople deserted him. He couldn't quite put his finger on what the problem was. He consulted with many people, but he didn't like the answers. The son of the founder grew weary.

The thing missing from the wonderful SuperStore was caring, knowledgeable employees who give excellent customer service. The nefarious businessmen who thought up the SuperStore didn't give a fig for customer service. "We don't pay 'em enough to care", they thought. That was their mistake and could be their downfall, just as growing weary was the son of the founder's Achilles Heel.

The son of the founder looked around and decided that things needed to change. For the first time, he thought of putting the store back to the way it was in the beginning. A small pharmacy surrounded by other small stores, who could be separate. At his decree, the stores were divided and operated by different people. The townspeople were confused and angry. They didn't want to walk out of one building and into the next. They wanted to walk through the stores like they always had! So many of the townspeople boycotted the stores.

The son of the son of the founder, who bought one of those stores, was very hurt. "Did the townspeople forget that I served them at my father's store for 35 years?", he wondered. "And why doesn't my father tell anyone how proud he is to pass the reins of this store onto me?" The son of the son of the founder wanted to show his father that he indeed had learned while working for him. He wanted to create the best little store he could with what he had purchased. Sadly, the son of the son of the founder was hampered by events that he had no control over. Still, he labored on, convinced his fortunes would soon change.

One day, not long before the Holidays (which are a very important time of year in the town), the son of the founder sold the little pharmacy. He sold it to a pharmacist who had owned a store renowned in its community nearby. The pharmacist and his wife met with the son of the son of the founder and his wife shortly after the sale. They was decided that it was time the two stores work together again, paving the way for bigger and better things in the future. The two couples rejoiced, knowing that although the transition would be hard, the many benefits to the community and to their stores would be truly amazing. --- The End

I've written this mock fairy tale to show that hope comes even in the darkest times. It's especially meaningful at this time of year. Come celebrate a new era for Webster's and Webster's Fine Stationers on December 18th, starting at 11:00 a.m. New owner Meredith Miller will be hosting a sample sale of her jewelry line "Pokerchip Girl" - vintage poker chips beautifully enhanced by hand with genuine crystals and embellishments. Simultaneously, Webster's Fine Stationers will be hosting their annual Holiday Open House, with a Champagne tasting at 2:00 p.m. For you non-drinkers, hot apple cider will be on tap, along with our signature gourmet coffee and cinnamon tea. Festive finger foods will also be served. Keep up with the information about our Holiday Open House on our Facebook page!

My friends, have a wonderful holiday season and we hope to see you on the 18th. Come by, meet Webster's Community Pharmacy's new owners and talk to them about their plans. Drop by our store and join in the cheer, for we have everything to celebrate this season! We'll be taking a blogging hiatus until after the 25th.

Until then,

Lori and Scott

Love Is All You Need

Today while we celebrate those whom we love, I'd like to take a moment to reflect on just how blessed Scott and I are. With lives as busy as ours have become since taking ownership of WFS, the notion of enjoying a romantic evening has gone out the window. So here I am at my keyboard, waiting for our delivery Valentine's meal and I'm about to tell you what I admire most about my husband.

Scott's the kind of guy that's so easy-going and mellow, it's difficult to be in a bad mood around him. I appreciate that quality in him so much since it balances out my more assertive tendencies. His gentle, winning way with people is something that fascinates me. He's comfortable talking to just about anyone and always is able to find common ground that makes reciprocal conversation easy.

I like watching his eyes sparkle when he's engaged in conversation with someone. It seems there's nothing he likes better than to find out about whomever he's talking to without boring them with repetitious details about himself. He is definitely a people person!

Then there's his voice. Long known as the "voice of Webster's", his low, resonate timber is distinctly his own. I remember when I first applied for a job at Webster's back in 1995 and he called me to set up an appointment. His voice was so interesting and I knew then that he was going to be someone special in my life.

Scott has so many more strengths, but I think his most important quality is his sense of personal integrity. No matter what obstacles are thrown in his way, I've seen Scott come shining through every time. His innate goodness seems to radiate off him and that sometimes makes him a target for those that take advantage of people like him. A word of warning to those advantage takers, though....the man is willing to forgive but he'll never forget.

So this is my Valentine's Day ode to my wonderful husband, whom I love dearly. Wish I could buy him a vacation, a day off, a new car or even fix that darn water main, but I can't. What I can do is tell the world why he's so special to me and to many other folks as well, because I think he deserves to know.

Meet The WFS Crew! Introducing Devon Pettengill

Much like any other thing in life, the whole is only as good as the sum of its parts, and that's particularly true for a retail store. Having friendly, knowledgable employees is important. In fact, these days, it's of enormous importance and that's why we're bringing you a special mid-week blogpost to introduce you to one of our new crew members, Devon Pettengill.

Devon, our lovely redheaded sprite, hails from Mill Valley, California but she's now a resident of Altadena. She's wonderfully upbeat with a gentle smile, sparkling eyes and an engaging personality. When asked what she likes about working at WFS, she states, "I love helping people find things they need....or what they didn't know they need. It's great to get a genuine smile from customers."

A self-professed stationery geek, she recalls hanging out at the local paper and pen shops as one of her fondest pastimes. "Other kids would get jazzed by going to toy stores. I was different - pretty papers, note cards, pens and letterpress gave me goosebumps!". Good thing she's in the right work environment now, and all to your benefit.

When she's not at work, creative Devon loves reading books and magazines. She's on an American history binge right now, she says. She also loves crafting and decorating her home, but writing is her number one passion. She does it so well that I've asked Devon to start contributing on our Facebook fan page. Look for her report on the usefulness of place cards on Friday, Feb. 12th. There's a link to our Facebook page on the left sidebar or simply click the title of this blogpost.

Devon's plans for the future are to find a career where she can use her skills to satisfy some one's communication needs either as a writer or a graphic designer. Our plans for Devon's future include asking her to use those same skills for the store, keeping them honed and ready.

Come in soon and say hello to Devon and let her assist you in finding exactly what you need at WFS!

Haute Halloween Spookfest at WFS!

Witches on their broomsticks fly
Ghouls hitch rides with vampires sly
Ghosties and goblins arise from their lair
All decked out with frightening flair,

They're coming to town real soon, I hear
Youngsters and oldsters quiver in fear
Of dreaded apparitions in the dead of the night
When silence runs deep with the absence of light

Join us to welcome this gruesome crew
Come party – let's have a Halloween do
At WFS, wear your scariest outfit
‘Cause 10/31 is reserved for it!

Bring the kiddies, bring Grandma
Bring yourself, bring your pa
Bring everyone, get ready to greet the night
Filled with fabulous Halloween delight!

----Lori Webster

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MAKE PLANS NOW TO JOIN US!

Make plans now to join us Saturday, Oct. 31st, at WFS for Halloween fun and festivities! Pick up coloring pages for the kids to create Halloween masterpieces that'll be hung on our Halloween tree. Each artist will be entered into our Haute Halloween drawing and names will be drawn at 2:00 p.m. Don't miss out on the wonderful prizes for kids and adults! There will be treats, too, for what's Halloween without treats? You won't find any tricks here, though....just straight up, spooky fun.

Following the drawing, we'll take the kids on a Halloween Procession up and down Lake Avenue and around to the back of the store. You're encouraged to participate, but definitely bring a camera – you won't want to miss out on this perfect Kodak moment! We'll march back into the store for more festivities, fun and Halloween treats!

Remember, all this on Saturday, October 31st, from 2:00 pm until 6:00 pm!

Altadena Burns!

Fire season is always a challenging time in California, particularly for those who live in mountain and foothill communities. Altadena is one such community and as you've most likely heard, the Station fire, which started in La Canada, is still burning out of control here. From the information I've gathered, this fire is unpredictable but we thank God that the winds haven't blown the fire further down the hills than it already is.

The photo above, courtesy of Bill Westphal, shows the dangerous fire behind his neighborhood. The following photo was taken by Lori Paul, of the Altadena Foothills Conservancy, on her mad dash home from Las Vegas after they received news of the fire. This is on Lincoln Avenue north, taken yesterday:


This is a very frightening time for all of us here in Altadena and we at WFS extend our sympathies and commiseration to those who have had their lives disrupted by this fire. Having lived through the Eaton Canyon fire in 1993, when I lived in Las Flores Canyon (east and north of the top of Lake Ave., near the Cobb Estate), I know exactly how it feels. I know we can't do much to help, but I do want you to know that WFS will be open regular hours and if you need a place to come to while you sort things out, please feel free to do so. We will have Altadenablog on one of our large shipping computer monitors for you to keep up with information on, and as always, cold lemonade and cookies for all who need a quick snack and a cold drink.

We pray the fire is extinguished soon without further damage, and urge everyone to keep informed by checking Altadenablog .

The Real Final Installment of Meet The WFS Crew - Meet The Owners!

It's funny the things you forget about when you're busy. I was telling a friend about the blogposts I'd been writing - installments about our crewmembers to introduce them to our customers. I told her how much I enjoyed interviewing them and getting to know them that much better. She loved that idea and wanted to know what I wrote about Scott and I. "Oh, I told her, "I hadn't really thought about writing about us". "Well, why not?", she asked. Indeed, why not? So here's our introduction, in case you haven't met us yet, and maybe something new you didn't know about us if you already have.

Actually, I've written and rewritten this three times already. I've discovered why I'd "forgotten" to do a piece on the two of us....it's extraordinarily difficult to write about yourself. I could go on about us - our home, our dog and two cats, our daughter whom we're so proud of - but I'd rather you have pertinent information about us instead. We can get to the other things later.

When we were given the opportunity to buy WFS, our immediate thought was not how we were going to get rich from this store. Of course, we'd like the store to make enough income so that we, and all of our employees, could be comfortable and secure -that goes without saying. But our first thought was how we could use the store as an instrument to help Altadena. In our opinion, success is not just a solitary thing....if we are going to be successful, then Altadena needs to be successful, too.

You've read how we feel about Altadena from our prior postings on the subject. We are Altadena advocates! It's a beautiful town with a population of highly creative people. But people need to understand that as a town, Altadena is languishing. It gets a lot of bad press and the sad thing is that some people believe that bad press is a good thing....it keeps people away and that keeps the town secure. What the bad press actually does is attract a bad element, much the same way the Old West's lawlessness attracted known criminals. We'd like to be instrumental in changing the way Altadena is perceived by others.

The best way to do that is by increasing the revenue the small businesses in Altadena make. The more money they make, the more revenue the County of Los Angeles makes in tax dollars. A lot of people don't know that the amount of tax revenue a town makes is directly correlated to the amount of services it receives. If Altadena is on the lower end of the revenue scale, the easier it is for the Supervisors to ignore us and pass us over for any incentives, programs, etc. Scott and I would like to see a successful, thriving Altadena, where more county funds are freed up for the residents and business owners to partake in. We'd like to see improvement for the North Lake Business District. We'd like to help the district become more pedestrian-friendly - to help make shopping here a more pleasant experience than it is presently.

All these wants are just so much dust in the wind if people don't understand the logic of shopping locally. This is the reason for our advocacy of The 3/50 Project - http://www.the350project.net/home.html - we must educate our people about the dangers of big-box and chain stores. This is the reason that we're concentrating our buying at the store from companies that make their products here in the U.S. and preferably, make them in California. Even better if they make them in Los Angeles or here in Altadena. Scott and I enjoy buying from local artisans and local companies. We like the feeling we get knowing that in some small way we're helping stop the free-fall the U.S. has been on with huge corporations, like WalMart, basing their production in China and other countries. We enjoy bolstering not only our local economy, but the U.S. economy as well.

We hope that you'll attend Sunday's Positivi-TEA and give us a chance to explain our views in person. Come meet us, have some fun and hear what we've got to say....we promise to listen to you, too.

Positivi-TEA!

Before WFS became it's own entity, the Stationery Department at Webster's Village was primarily known for office products. For forty plus years, it carried a huge variety of sometimes esoteric office merchandise that not many other stores had. The amount of pens alone staggered the mind and there were more mailing envelopes than I'd ever seen anywhere. The store was legendary and rightly so. Office products were hot items and the run was good while it lasted, but times and tastes change. Demographics change and especially now, the retail climate has changed. When WalMart can offer "everything your child needs for back-to-school for $9.00", you know it's time to get off the bus. We're experiencing a paradigm shift away from what was and have entered into uncharted retail waters.

Of course, you've noticed the changes at Webster's. I've written about it in prior blogposts, back when not many people were reading them. That's changed, too, and I'm honored to know that at least a few more of you out there have been reading and following along with this blog. But that hasn't addressed the rest of the folks out there that don't interact on-line. There's still confusion and concern about the change that we hear about every day. We could say that there's a general feeling of Uncertainty. We could ignore that Uncertainty, as seems to be the present course of action, or we could confront Uncertainty and turn it around into Positivity!

That's exactly what we plan to do. We'd love you to join us on Sunday, August 16th at 3:00 P.M. for WFS' "Positivi-TEA", a celebration of Webster's history and a look toward our future. We'll be serving a proper high tea (as proper as we can be with no tables and chairs), so there will be finger food, beverages and lots of give-aways! Come have some fun - see old pictures of Webster's back in the day (you might even spot your grandma). Come learn about the new Webster's Fine Stationers and how we can fit into your shopping life. Mingle with friends, see and experience our newly arrived products and hear what our plans are for months ahead. Most importantly, come participate in a discussion of why we made the changes we did and how it affects you. We'd love for you to give us a chance to hear what you think. We'd love it if you'd make the time to come see us on Sunday. We do need to know approximately how much food to serve, so if you would please RSVP it would be appreciated. Simply email me at lorinscott_1@msn.com, sign up on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/webstersfinestationers or leave your email in our guest book at the store. See you on the 16th!