Hello, 4th Quarter!

The year certainly has flown by, hasn't it?  I can't believe it's already October, but that said, we're looking forward to the hustle and bustle of the next three months! (In the retail world, the 12 months are divided up into 4 quarters, the last three of which are the 4th quarter.)

This month holds the promise of much excitement, with our Fancy Food Truck Friday slated for Oct. 14th and our wine tasting/poetry reading on the 15th!  In collaboration with local artist Patrick Gothard, we've hung his Day Of The Dead series of oil paintings in the store.  An exuberant explosion of graphic color, these skeleton-inspired paintings are something to see - and we hope you'll come by and do just that!  We have plans to be working with several more area artists over the coming months, adding to the number of local artists we already represent.

Remember to "like" our Facebook page, where you can keep up with what's happening with us, join in some interesting conversations and learn about events and specials!  As always, have a great week ahead and we hope to see you soon!

Lori & Scott

Community Is Our Business

If you look at Altadena, CA,on a street view map, you'd see that we're a very spread out community.  There are actually four different "main drags" in Altadena - starting from the West, we've got Lincoln and Fair Oaks, Lake Avenue in the center and Allen to the East.  This sprawl of neighborhoods and commerce centers make it a challenge for law enforcement, but we're very lucky to have our Los Angeles County Sheriffs, who do such an admirable job of keeping us safe.

Photo Credit: Tim Rutt

I was honored to attend the Grand Opening of the Altadena Sheriffs Station on Saturday, accompanied by Rose West of Curves on Mariposa representing Altadena's Chamber of Commerce.  Struck by that fact that violent crime here has taken a notable downturn, I feel very grateful that our Sheriffs now have a new, upgraded station to conduct their business in.  The building's design is a nostalgic nod to the era the original Station was built in, and it carries that theme faithfully throughout from the vintage lettering on the glass insets on the interior doors to the old jail, now used for storage.  The completion of the Station's renovation gives me hope that this is the start to the much-needed renovation of the North Lake Business District. 

Just like the Sheriffs make our community their business, all of us at Webster's FS make Altadena our business as well.  We don't just sell products at our store, you see.  We give our all to be of service to our fellow residents and guests at all times. Many customers feel comfortable calling in to ask questions about happenings in the community, and we think that's a great thing!  I'd like to encourage people to tell their friends to feel free to contact us if they'd like - not everyone has a computer or internet access, and we don't mind helping people find what they're looking for.

Happy fall, everyone - have a great week ahead!  Next week we'll talk about the next Fancy Food Truck Friday and our own Wines For A Passionate Evening of Poetry coming up on October 15th.....

Lori & Scott

Distinguishable Difference?

We're embarking on an adventure this week at WFS.  We'll be reading the book entitled "Different" by Youngme Moon.  When I saw "we", of course I mean me, but I will be discussing it with Scott and our crew when I finish reading it. I became fascinated by watching this video, found on a Google + post by Mari Smith, and I can't stop thinking about the book.  I'm thinking about all the ways that WFS truly is a different sort of retail store, and that many of our ideas, such as what I term "cooperative commerce", are innovative. 

I'm excited to read "Different".  I'll leave you here with a little taste of the book, and when I finish it, I'll report back to you on how much I liked it.  I'll also be pointing out what I learned from it, and how I think our store can benefit from the information.  Or maybe, it'll be how our community can benefit.....we'll see.

 -----------------------------------------"Different" by Youngme Moon--------------------------------------------------

"There is perhaps no better way to get a glimpse into the mass consumption values of a culture than to visit the place where the inhabitants of that culture purchase the stuff of daily living—soap, food, shoes. If aliens were to visit a grocery store or a drugstore in this country, they would have to conclude that we are a people hooked on the pleasures of picking needles out of haystacks—of selecting a cereal among an ocean of cereal boxes, of selecting a bar of soap among an ocean of soap bars. And in many ways, they would be right. We take for granted how frequently we thrust ourselves into the position of having to make purchase decisions in the face of overflowing product profusion."

"There are truisms in business, just as there are truisms in sport, in play, and in life—self-evident, obvious truths that require little or no persuasion. Buy low, sell high. Know thy competition. Listen to your customers. These are the axioms that have not only achieved the status of conventional wisdom in the world of commerce, they have become part of our modern business reflex. And because these wisdoms have become congenital almost, when they are called into question, we tend to be not just defensive, but dismissive."

"The metaphor should be obvious. The central premise in part 1 of this book is that in so many consumer categories, differentiation has become hard to come by because we have fallen into a pulse of competition that in and of itself has become an impediment to its emergence. In part 1, I also contend that businesses that find themselves locked into this particular pattern of competitive engagement have become masters at producing product categories filled with heterogeneous homogeneity, or dissimilar clones if you will. Which is to say that they have become masters of a particular form of imitation. Not differentiation, but imitation. Yet because this particular form of imitation is cloaked in the vernacular of differentiation, the myth of competitive separation lives on in the minds of the managers running these firms. Meanwhile, the emperor has no clothes and most consumers know it."

"....As a percentage, the number of companies who are truly able to achieve competitive separation in their respective categories—to break through the noisy clutter, to create genuine emotional resonance with consumers—is depressingly small, and yet these outliers have much to teach us about the limitations of some of our most deeply held business assumptions. So while part 1 of this book may read like a critique, part 2 will read very much like a celebration, of these iconoclasts and their ways of doing business."
  

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Oh man....I'm really looking forward to this!

Have a fantastic week, my friends!


Lori & Scott

SB 469 - Good For Your Community?

Tucked in the back op-ed section of the August 29th edition of the Los Angeles Business Journal, economic development consultant Robert J. Rodino wrote an interesting piece entitled "Gains From Wal-Mart Style Stores Not So Super".  In it, he discusses State Measure SB 469, a proposal that would require California cities to conduct economic impact studies before approving large, super-center type stores, and the criticism it's getting.

The argument that this measure would inhibit economic growth here in California's communities stems from a misunderstanding of the dynamics of the retail business.  Rodino says, "The impact of Wal-Mart style superstores on the businesses in local communities is often just the opposite of what superstore advocates claim".  This is something that the Americal Independent Business Alliance has been talking about for years now.  During studies conducted in 2003, and updated in 2010 for the city of San Diego, Mr. Rodino documents the dynamic he coins "retail cannibalization" - the tendency large superstores have for sucking the life out of a community. 

"Consumer retail expenditures are dependent on consumer income", Rodino states.  "Developing a Wall-Mart style superstore in a mature urban market does not alter consumer incomes and does not alter their expenditures.  Superstore gains in sales largely come from the surrounding retailers' losses.  While a portion of sales can be made up from consumers coming into a trade area, i.e., into the city of Los Angeles from outside the city, this is rarely sufficient to satisfy superstore annual sales volume.  Regionally, there would be little or no net new retail sales growth, since retailers outside the trade area would correspondingly lose sales volumes".

He goes on to cite other instances of the devastation a large superstore could cause.  He advises that advocates for business need to be asked what businesses are they advocating for - giant corporations or local small businesses?  He says, "Nationally we accept the idea that small businesses are job creators.  Why does this change for local retailers in Southern California?"

Why do we see that disparity here in SoCal?  I'm no politician, so it's a mystery to me.  Local, independent businesses have been proven to be the drivers of job creation, innovation and the lion's share of economic development in cities and towns across the county.  I can only imagine the economic stimulus these overreaching corporations get from our local, state and national government, without making good on their promises to stimulate the local economy.  But there it is, happening around us every day.  Read up on SB 469, and please vote to keep your communities unique and vibrant - choose small business over big box business!

This has been a public service message from Webster's Fine Stationers - thank you for reading!

Have a wonderful week ahead, my friends!

Lori & Scott

Because Communities Matter

 

Each one of our communities across our nation face a huge challenge today.  That challenge is keeping our neighborhoods - the place we live - unique and vibrant.  There are too many places in the United States that could be moved from one area to another and no one would be able to tell the difference.  The same brands, the same styles, the same everything all across the county!  Thank goodness that not everyone is content with that.

I'm glad that Altadena is one of those rare places that doesn't want to be a cookie-cutter community.  I'm glad that we've kept our independent businesses alive (for the most part), and I'm certainly glad for Altadena's independent spirit!  I know that there are towns just like Altadena who are proud of their uniqueness as well, so anyone reading from out of town, I'm sure, can identify with one, hopefully their own.  That's great!  We need to continue to support those businesses who have woven their threads into the fabric your communities.

The Shops At Webster's are such businesses.  Webster's has been part of the Altadena landscape since the 1920s and has seen generation after generation of Altadenans come and go.  We're honored, all of us, to be a part of that history.  We're also thrilled that we can be part of history in the making.  With the renovation planned by the pharmacy and the innovation promised by its new owners, you need look for no further signal that the family's old place will continue operation well into its 100 year anniversary!  Scott and I are excited about it all and especially by our contribution to the mix. 

As summer winds down into a new fall season, all of the Webster stores are planning some tremendous fun for you and yours!  Make sure you keep your eyes out for email communications from us and follow our Facebook page or you might miss out on vital information about cool new food trucks at our Fancy Food Truck Friday events; our very popular wine pairing events; book signings and readings and other community-centered happenings.

We hope to see you soon, and wish everyone a great week ahead!

Lori & Scott

On Our Horizon, Weak Knees And All

This past week saw another of our monthly wine pairing events, and it even generated a story in the Pasadena Weekly!  The Weekly interviewed our intrepid wine bloggers, Anne Bannon and Michael Holland, and outlined our wine pairings at the store.  Here's the link, if you'd like to check it out: http://pasadenaweekly.com/cms/story/detail/?id=10437.  Hat tip to the Weekly for the article! If you're in the area on September 17th, we'll be hosting a special wine event tied into the back to school season - Wine 101, a Wine Primer For Novices.  We'll be tasting and discussing the four major groups of wine - Bubblies (brute Champagne), Whites (Chardonnay) Blushes (Rose) and Reds (Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvingon).  Come to learn the basics of these four groups of wine, come to enjoy the local foods to be paired with them, most of all come to enjoy a great time with good friends!

Webster's Community Pharmacy, Webster's Stationery and Webster's Liquor are planning our next Fancy Food Truck Friday on September 9th.  Not all the details are put together yet, but we've gotten notice from Cathy Gott of  Danny's Farm that they'd like to join the festivities. Wouldn't that be fun, with their new trailer and animals!  We're not sure as of yet whether the County will allow this or not, so stay tuned to our Facebook page for more information throughout the days leading up to the next food truck event!

Friday afternoon I attended a celebration of our women in the Altadena Town Council at Monica Hubbord's and let me tell you, this was such a wonderful event to have been invited to!  Thank you, Monica, for all that you do to support our community, you're truly one in a million!

On a more somber note, we know these days are very challenging, especially for the more vulnerable members of our society.  Organizations like Friends In Deed , Union Rescue Mission and Union Station Pasadena are working valiantly to help feed and house these people, while sometimes the adversity seems to overwhelm them.  I came across Union Rescue Mission's Rev. Andy Bales' recent blogpost and have to link it here.  This has provided me with such inspiration that I really hope it gives you some "strength in your knees" as well.  Watch for upcoming fund raisers for these groups in the future!

We'd like to leave you with a bit of scripture found in Rev. Bales' post: 

"Hebrews 12:12-13 (ESV)
¹² Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,
¹³ and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed."

Have a wonderful week ahead, friends!

Lori & Scott

Bully, Bully, or, Coercer In The Rye

Friday night's Fancy Food Truck Friday was just fabulous in every way - the weather cooperated (it wasn't a thousand degrees), Paco the Chihuahua made an appearance and the news crews followed!  The Arroyo Food Co-op were had a table there, passing out information to our attendees and so was local resident Tamir Yardenne.  Tamir is a multi-talented young man and his latest endeavor centers around the no-bullying movement.  His latest short film, Silencio, features Altadena actor and activist, , and is a powerful statement against bullying.

As Scott and I were having coffee this morning, we discussed bullying and the oppression that accompanies it.  Scott, dyslexic and ADHD from birth, knows all about that subject.  As he tell it, he's been bullied all his life, mostly by his own family members.  When I first got to know Scott and spoke with him about his troubles, I took it all with a grain of salt.  But having been married to him for 14 years, I can attest to it now - I've seen and experienced it myself. Bullying is never a good thing, but when it comes from within your own family, what can you do?

What you can do is to get help, from friends or professionals.  Bring it into the light and don't suffer in silence.  There's no reason to be bullied for being thought of as "different".  We've been able to rise above it, to deal with the effects of it and so can other people, by taking positive action.  There is much more support out in the world now, thanks to people like Tamir, that can help break the bonds of bullying.

I've rewritten this blog post several times since Sunday evening and ended up with this final post.  I want to apologize if any of the former content made anyone uncomfortable, as that was not my intention.  We'll be back next week with our regularly scheduled posts.

Lori & 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

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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Engagement Exercise

What do you get when you combine a fabulous international shopping venue with a retailer that loves to decorate?  You get the most incredible week, and if you've been keeping up with us on our Facebook page, you'll know that Scott and I've been at the California Gift Show.  So many fascinating things to look at, so many places to go and people to see, it truly can be a scramble - but a very exciting scramble it is!  It's always a special treat to connect with the leaders in our industry, even more so to listen to their synopsis of the hot topics affecting retailers today. 

On Saturday, Scott and I hit the Convention Center for a retailer's roundtable discussion with four such ladies.  The group of four was moderated by Marisa Marcantonio, former style editor for House Beautiful and O at Home, an Oprah Magazine, and author of the Stylebeat blog.  She gracefully led the three panelists, Gifts and Decorative Accessories Magazine's editor-in-chief Carolyn Kennedy; Jenny Heinzen York, the editor-in-chief of Home Accents Today; and Traditional Home Magazine's Senior Design and Style editor Krissa Rossbund; in a discussion that was informative, inspirational and touching. 


The discussion centered around what retailers in today's rough market should and could be doing to not only increase their bottom line, but reach beyond that to touch their customer's lives in a positive fashion.  There was talk of target markets and knowing who your customers are.  For those of us who are struggling to make it to the next season, their advice was to engage!  Engagement takes many forms these days, but we retailers should be using all the new sources, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to communicate with and grow our customer bases.  But that's not the only way to reach people.  Have you ever noticed that when you tell your kids, or anyone else, a story they tend to settle back and listen?  How many retailers out there are only using the avenues I mentioned to blindly shout "Here we are and this is what we've got!" into the world-wide web without giving your potential followers and customers anything else to identify you with?


Tell them your story, the ladies advised.  Let people know who you are, what you stand for and what you can do for your community!  What a waste of time if you're not thinking of how to impress your brand - your store and your story - into your customer's mind.  I've often told our crew here at WFS that when we're at the store, it's like we're on stage.  Every time we interact with a customer, we should be giving them not only service, we should be giving them an experience (and hopefully, a pleasant one).  We should be giving them something to talk about, so they can in turn tell their friends about you.  In essence, creating a community of people who are willing to come to you, to listen to your story, to recognize your brand and identify it with a positive experience.


In towns and cities across the nation, small stores like WFS are creating communities of people who want to shop with them.  They know the story of the store, what they're about and what they do.  Don't leave them guessing, my friends.  Reach out and touch the people with your story and let them know how you can help them, make their lives easier, and most of all, make them feel they matter!  It's a harsh world out there - a savvy retailer will make sure that her customers are experiencing shopping bliss, even if just for a few minutes.


We'll talk more about engagement and important trends you can take advantage of next week.  Until then, have a wonderful week.  Don't forget, our Fancy Food Truck Fridays is coming up on August 12th, and our monthly Wine Tasting Event (Frosty Whites For Summer!) will be on August 20th!


Lori & Scott

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!

Community In The Works

Last week we celebrated Independents Week, as we discussed in my last post, and I've never been more proud to be a part of the business landscape in Altadena.  Even though times are tough financially, there is an undercurrent running though our community that is so exciting, it's really inspirational!

Scott and I have the honor of knowing so many individuals, most of whom are active with various civic groups in town, that have been working tirelessly to challenge the status quo and improve our daily lives.  From the Arroyo Time Bank and the Altadena Urban Farmer's Market to the Altadena Town Council, Altadena Heritage, and the Altadena Historical Society, these folks are devoting their time and effort to make a discernible difference here.  They're paving the way for a sustainable future for Altadena and along the way, they're also educating our residents how to achieve and maintain it.

On Friday, during our Fancy Food Truck Friday event, we had two such people in the store, donating their time to making the evening more enjoyable for everyone.  Susann Edmonds, owner of A Chair In The Garden and head chef at Jabberwocky Smooth Jerk was there handing out samples of pork roast cooked with the proprietary sauce while local artist HB3 (Hugh Bonar) made magical sounds with his guitar, utterly enchanting everyone who came in.  It was quite a night and I'd like to thank both Susann and Hugh for helping make the event even more of a community party!

The groups I mentioned above, and others that I haven't yet mentioned, all need our help.  Not just some of our money - what they need is your attention and most of all, they need your participation.  You can find out more about them at the websites the links will take you to.  I can tell you that they can't do what they need to do without our caring about them.  In my ideal world, we would all be working together for the common good, businesses and community members alike.  If you live in Altadena, we urge you to take a moment, check out these sites and get invested in the town you live in.....only good could come of it!

Thanks for listening and we hope you all have a fabulous week!

Lori & Scott