Altadena Above It All

Bob Stane, who everyone knows from all the great music he produces at the Coffee Gallery Backstage and the comedy he set loose at the Ice House for years, is making more than anyone else could out of his “fork in the road” on S. Pasadena Ave. I’m heading there today for a photo myself to catch all the action. Just read on and be amazed. Then give him a hand with food and decor!

Bob Stane Says:  Today, we have two sermons in one.  Double your pleasure, double your fun.
Both have the subtle thread of volunteerism running through them.  Oh, Bob, you have started your novel.  No Chuckie and Chuckette,
I have not.  Wait for it.   Here is the fun part.  As you know, we scored big with THE FORK.  It ran on TV all over the country and was featured in The Chicago Tribune, with color photo.  (Internet Version).  Also The Los Angeles Times featured us with a half page as
did The San Gabriel Tribune.  It went on and on and is still a “happening” event. The door is only slightly ajar. The demons are peeking around the corner.
The conquest of the media world is only a greedy grasp away.  I can almost taste the heady essence of complete power.
Of course with absolute power comes absolute corruption.  Well, I can’t be perfect.  Stay with me on this one.
We are starting The Fork In The Road Gang with everything that goes along with belonging to, and  flaunting,  a snooty and exclusive  organization.  A fraternity  that is much too good for such as I.  But that will be worked out.
You, however, are invited to join.  Can you feel that warm tingle go up and down your spine?  Delicious.
Read the copy about the food drive.  There is a lot more opportunity for future glory in this than you might think.  Then go down to the next item of forkiness  and absorb the hint of evil that goes with ongoing holidays and Pasadena events.        Oh, yes, yes, yes.

 
THE FOOD DRIVE:  (Good deeds, etc. The Holidays are here)
“Put The Fork In Hunger”  food drive to benefit Union Station Homeless Services.  Largest Food Drive Ever!
 
This Saturday and Sunday from 8 to 4 P.M.  Bob Stane, Ken Marshall (The Coffee Gallery Backstage) and Philip Coombes(AgentPhil.com) will be launching Pasadena’s largest food drive ever! benefiting Union Station Homeless services.  Union Station Homeless Services  will be feeding more than 5,000 people in the park on Thanksgiving Day and any non-perishables you can drop off at the fork this weekend will be greatly appreciated and much needed.
The food drive will be taking place at The infamous “Fork” located at the “fork in the road” where St. John and Pasadena Ave. meet. (or divide depending if your cup is half full or half empty) This is just South of Huntington Hospital and Bellfontaine.  (From now on, this piece of dirt is dubbed, “Fork  Plaza”). Please look for the volunteers wearing bright Orange shirts.  Simply go slow, roll down your window and give your non-perishable food items to the volunteers with outreach bags.

We are also looking for volunteers (anyone? anyone?) to help on both days of the event, Hint:  students  looking for  service hours.  For further information or to volunteer, please contact Philip Coombes at Phil@AgentPhil.com or call 626 644-3227.  (do not call Bob Stane, phone or e mail Phil.). Adults welcomed and needed. Call now.
Easiest route is from Arroyo (Pasadena Freeway).  Go west on Glen Arm.  Go north on Pasadena Ave.  Admire fork. Volunteer or drop off food.  Go around the corner, park, and gaze. Think about the audacity and the work and imagination that went into this stunt. Now your appetite is whetted.  You are doomed.  However, if Glenda, The Good Witch shows up you may get away with it.
Mapquest. Type in 866 N. Pasadena Ave. Pasadena, CA.  The Fork lives to the left of this address.
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What’s next, Bob. Exploit me, take full advantage.  “See World Conquest.”
The Fork In The Road, at Fork Plaza, has only started to infect the community.  So much potential  mischief, so little time.
Get this insight.  “The Fork and Fork Plaza” are new players on the Pasadena scene.  New and shiny. Just right for seasonal exploitation.
The television cameras are waiting for the close up, CB.
We need a Santa hat for the top of the fork.  There will be lights (we hope).  Other wonderful decorations and “inspired” things might happen or appear. The top of the fork is 24 inches wide.  Just right for some sewing genius who can make a hat or ?  A craft project or do you have a huge Santa hat in your garage?  Ideas welcomed.  Ken will install, do not
climb any ladders.
All right, Bob, what do you really want to do?  Spill your guts.  O. K., you got it out of me.  What I really want is to get The Fork featured in The New Year’s Day parade television coverage and as a feature, on TV, during the football game, January 1, both.  That will require ideas.  And a crown on the top if the fork.  See “crafts.”  Want to see your work on TV?  Sure you do.
Now, Bob, how are you going to get it on TV on New Year’s Day? Answer: Remember, The Fork is a new player and the TV commentators have about worn out anything else that might be spectacular in Pasadena.  That leaves The Fork and my festering imagination to supply (safe and sane) visuals.  The Rose Court?  Maybe.  The Cheer leaders of both football teams?  Dancers? Perhaps.
Actually, there is much more but I cannot tell you as I need to reserve much of the ideas to seduce the TV channels.  I have great visuals in store. Can’t give it away. So cool.  You will be proud of me.
Hint:  I may need someone to craft a large pie.  Envision a round wash tub (tin/zinc) cut down (shortened) to pie size.  Then a pie crust (made of?).     Oh, yes, a pie.  That warm tingle is, again, going up the spine.  You will think of better things than I.
Now you can contact Bob Stane.  Think outside the pie:  bstane@earthlink.net
This is going to be good.  (or as Terry Southern wrote of Guy Grand’s escapades in his book “The Magic Christian,” “it cost him a pretty penny to get out of that one.”).

From Carolyn and the Sheriff station:

A variation on the behavior of some burglars has been reported.  I don’t know at this point in which part of Altadena the incident occurred, but at approximately 2:30 am on Wednesday morning, a resident was awakened by the sounds of a woman in distress at the front door.

The woman at the door said she and her baby needed help.

As the resident was talking to the woman through the door, a man was attempting entry at the rear of her home.

If you have a similar experience, call the sheriff’s station first and then holler through the door – “don’t worry, I’ve called the sheriff for you.”

That has been a deterrent in some areas.

Altadena Sheriff’s Station – 626 798 1131.  You can stop in at the Sheriff’s Station and ask for stickers with the Sheriff’s Station’s phone number that you can put on your phone, so when something happens, you don’t have to try to remember the number.  It’ll be on your phone.

Stay safe!

Here’s the fab artwork for the next art bender weekend in Altadena. Leaving the image sideways for now, so you can read the details.

Group Show Dec. 3-6, 2009

Lori and Scott at Webster’s Fine Stationers are already in the holiday spirit. They’ll be supporting two local charities–Danny’s Farm and Five Acres–with your holiday purchases and food donations.

Here’s Lori’s Facebook post:

There are several exciting things going on at WFS these next couple of months! The holiday season is quickly approaching, and of course we’ll be dressing up the store but we thought we could do a lot more than decorate and hang ornaments.

I’ve said before that in economic times such as these, it’s our local charities and non-profits that suffer the most. When people feel they have little to give, charitable donations are the first to be cut from the budget. We understand and believe me, our store doesn’t have room for much donating, either. But you know what? We’re still in business and our crew members are still employed and for that we’re thankful. In that spirit of thankfulness, we are going to be donating to two Altadena non-profits – Danny’s Farm and Five Acres. Read on and discover how we’ll be accomplishing this.

Danny’s Farm is a a local non-profit with an amazing premise. We love how the Gott family’s vision has improved and enriched our community! They even have plans to expand that vision which will create more opportunities for the disabled in Altadena. To get there, they need our help and they need your help. If you order custom holiday cards from WFS this year, we will donate 15% of the net cost to Danny’s Farm. Don’t let the word “custom” scare you away….these cards are cost effective and beautiful. Best of all, you can be the designer of your own holiday card! We will have our catalog of holiday cards on-line at by late next week. From now until January 1st, if you order your gorgeous holiday cards through Webster’s Fine Stationers, we will donate 15% of the net sale to Danny’s Farm and that’s a very good thing.

Five Acres is another local Altadena non-profit that is near and dear to our hearts. They’re running a Thanksgiving food-drive for the population they serve and we want to help! We’ll be collecting the donations here at WFS, but here’s the thing: when you bring your food donations in, please give them directly to a crew member. That crew member will give you a coupon for 10% off any purchase you make at WFS. You can use that coupon that day or save it for later use. It’s just our way of saying thank you for making a food donation to Five Acres. We also have $10.00 coupons that are good for the same amount off a purchase at Macy’s on Saturday, November 14th. Your purchase of these coupons benefits Five Acres and are redeemable on regular, sale or clearance priced merchandise purchases of $25.00 or more. Remember, these are valid on November 14th only. To buy one, just ask one of our crew members.

Also on our radar for the weeks coming up is a book signing with Altadena author Andre Coleman. Stay tuned for more information on that event!

Way to go Lori!

It’s time for the next wild weekend at Ben McGinty’s Gallery at the End of the World.

This is shameless self promotion because I’m in the show this time around. I won’t just be hanging around sucking up food and wine, I’ll be answering your brilliant insightful questions about my work. As soon as Ben has the postcards and promo material ready, you’ll see it here.

Bare bones details:

McGinty’s Gallery at the End of the World Group Show

Thurs.-Sun., Dec. 3-6   Noon-6 p.m.

Artists’ reception 6-9 p.m. Thurs., Dec. 3.

Most fun reception anywhere– 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday. $5 cover (and totally worth it!)

2475 N. Lake Ave., Altadena

626-794-8779

www.galleryattheendoftheworld.com

Here’s the Star News story on Pasadena’s latest “fork in the road”!

Cudos to Ken Marshall and Bob Stane

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_13705662?source=rss_viewed

Bob Stane Says:  If you are in Southern California, turn on your TV and tune to
Channels 2 (CBS), Channel 7 and Channel 5.  Tonight.  Right now for CBS, Channel 2.
It is a great story on a huge gift on my birthday.  A great surprise for me.
It is a fork.  Channel 2 is running a “teaser” on it about every 20 minutes and they have
wished me “Happy Birthday” on screen.
At 5:00 P.M. I will be featured in an interview along with Ken Marshall, who is the tinker who made the fork.
I love forks and Ken made one just for me.  Blessings on you Tiny Ken.
Kudos to Ken.  See the shows for details.
I hope it will be amusing.
This is a leaning moment on “Publicity.”  Repeat:  Publicity.  Take note.
During the 6:00 P.M. news shows Channel 5 and Channel 7 will run their interviews.
I know you thought if I got huge tv news stories it would be something really disgraceful and something
that would land me in prison.  Well, it is not over yet.  Permission and permits did not enter into this “stroke.”
It may, or may not run during the “late news” on all stations if you are still awake.
If you are in the San Gabriel Valley, The Star-News did 3/4 page on me and the Far West
award, and my somewhat colorful life (fortunately the do not know everything).  Definitely
the Star-News have it, and I suspect the entire newspaper chain ran it.  Also, a picture story on “the fork.”
And where is the spoon and the dish?  The mystery deepens.
Bob Stane, The Coffee Gallery Backstage