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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Council says yes to another farmer’s market

Despite the opening of a new Altadena farmer’s market this month, the Altadena Town Council told the county to go ahead with plans to start a farmer’s market in Loma Alta Park.

ATC bug
Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation had partnered with Air Machine Farmer’s Markets to start a market in Farnsworth Park, but that met with objections from residents of the area before that market got off the ground.  Since then, the county and the Altadena town council have explored using Loma Alta Park as a farmer’s market site.  Meanwhile, Air Machine (so named because it started as a business that rented inflatable bouncers) started another farmer’s market in the parking lot of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Altadena almost three weeks ago.

Al Evans of county parks and recreation department asked the council at its meeting Tuesday night if it was still willing to go ahead and establish a market at Loma Alta Park, in light of the market opening at Sacred Heart.  Members of the council in the area had been passing out flyers and getting feedback from neighbors at Loma Alta, and and felt it would be a good thing for the neighborhood.

Evans said that, when the county partners with a farmer’s market, it will have final say over what products will be sold and has a public infomation officer who will help publicize it and help foster a healthy lifestyle and healthy food choices to the people who patronize it.

In other action:

  • Trash contract: Chair Gino Sund announced that the county had chosen a potential winner from the five bidders who were looking to handle trash collection in Altadena.  The winner will not be made public until the county supervisors approve the contract by the third or fourth week of February.

Sund said that the timetable — subject to change — is that the winner would be known by March, there would be kickoff meetings in May, and new service would begin July 1.

Kinneloa Mesa, which at various times had been folded into an Altadena trash contract, will have a separate contract instead, Sund said.

  • VIDA Program:  The Vital Intervention Directional Alternatives (VIDA) program for at-risk youth through the Altadena Sheriff’s Station is expected to start in February.  The 16-week course engages at-risk children ages 11 to 17 and their parents for ten hours each week in everything from group counseling to physical training drills designed to redirect anti-social behavior into socially acceptable behavior.
  • Chamber of Commerce: Doug Colliflower, reporting for the Altadena Chamber of Commerce, reminded all that the annual chamber dinner will be Jan. 28.  Carolyn Seitz will be honored as the chamber’s citizen of the year.   He also said that 260 people have responded to the local business survey at surveyaltadena.com, and they were shooting for 300 responses.
  • The council also approved proclamations commending local storyteller Leslie Perry, and the League of Women Voters for celebrating 75 years in the Pasadena/Altadena area.

 

Posted on Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 02:21 AM |

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Sund said that the timetable — subject to change — is that the winner would be known by March, there would be kickoff meetings in May, and new service would begin July 1.

Kinneloa Mesa, which at various times had been folded into an Altadena trash contract, will have a separate contract instead, Sund said.

  • VIDA Program:  The Vital Intervention Directional Alternatives (VIDA) program for at-risk youth through the Altadena Sheriff’s Station is expected to start in February.  The 16-week course engages at-risk children ages 11 to 17 and their parents for ten hours each week in everything from group counseling to physical training drills designed to redirect anti-social behavior into socially acceptable behavior.
  • Chamber of Commerce: Doug Colliflower, reporting for the Altadena Chamber of Commerce, reminded all that the annual chamber dinner will be Jan. 28.  Carolyn Seitz will be honored as the chamber’s citizen of the year.   He also said that 260 people have responded to the local business survey at surveyaltadena.com, and they were shooting for 300 responses.
  • The council also approved proclamations commending local storyteller Leslie Perry, and the League of Women Voters for celebrating 75 years in the Pasadena/Altadena area.