Community Pancake Breakfast
– Sandy Chang
The sound of muffled commotion came through all too loudly at five in the morning. Fonda bolted out of the house with the door slamming noisily behind him, marking the first sound of the day, before even the rooster next door had a chance to crow.
Waiting for Fonda at the local Grocery Outlet parking lot was Silvera in his pickup, quietly eating a breakfast sandwich in the predawn darkness. At barely daybreak, the two men began to set up a slightly torn canopy – its age showing through the visible wear of years. Under the canopy was a yellow banner of a ring of leaves hugging the words Altadena Community Garden. Behind it, garden-related pamphlets and boxes of seeds spread over a picnic table. The booth was all ready for the rotary sponsored pancake breakfast!
A couple of hours later, the parking lot was bustling with a handful of tents and plenty of diners! To the left of the Garden’s booth was the equally beloved Christmas Tree Lane Association, adorned with hanging shirts proudly swaying its logo like prayer flags, townspeople already anxiously inquiring about the lighting of the Lane still two months away! To the right was an adrenaline packed setup by the Altadena Mountain Rescue, with brightly colored ATVs, volunteer rescuers and more t-shirts. The rescuers garner much respect in this mountain community all too familiar with the sound of its helicopters regularly airlifting stranded hikers out of the Angeles National Forest. Also in the lineup were the Altadena Fire Department, Altadena Sheriff’s Office and the Altadena Rotary – notable as joint sponsors of the enchanted Farnsworth Park Concert Series that has delighted the community for as many summers as Altadenans can remember. Captain Jabarri Williams, the new sheriff, mingled warmly amongst diners sitting at long breakfast tables.
Heaping plates of steaming sausages and pillowy pancakes were served with gallons of aromatic coffee, golden orange juice and free flowing syrup. With a five dollar ticket, attendees get to support Altadena’s cornerstone 501c3s and enjoy a country styled breakfast amongst neighbors. Jose and Sandra Valenzuela, owners of Altadena’s Grocery Outlet, ran back and forth frantically keeping the breakfast assembly well supplied while Rotary members manned the line flipping fluffy pancakes and grilling plump sausages that crackled and sizzled in all their glistening glory. These two groups jointly sponsored the event’s food and labor thus allowing all donations to benefit the above named organizations.
Happy chatters rang all around as attendees mingled and made friends with one another. Many exclaimed in delight at finally meeting a neighbor down the street, while others commiserated over the lack of speed bumps or the overabundance of coyotes. Common topics were easily found. Participants perused the booths, made donations, purchased souvenirs and picked up helpful informational pamphlets. At the Altadena Community Garden booth, fascinating conversations were had over gopher prevention, organic seeding, planting calendar, winter gardening, and countless other fun topics. Garden enthusiasts pored over a large collection of seeds made freely available to the public by the Garden’s President. The Garden’s soon-to-be-available-for-purchase tote bag and t-shirt designed by John Maust of the Maust family in plot 32 were received with overwhelming enthusiasm and anticipation. Because of the family’s love of the Garden, John is donating all of his services through his company Wicked Earth Design.
Many Altadenans made wonderful showings of support by purchasing tickets to the event, while others donated or brainstormed fundraising ideas together. The air was thick with a sweet fragrance of syrup and a formidable sense of community. The two hour breakfast flew by all too quickly and just as the early October day begun to heat up it was time to dissemble the booth and part ways with friends old and new. Attendees were well fed and well stocked with seeds enough for the entire planting calendar!
The Altadena Community Garden depends on our fellow Altadenans and our community partners to keep alive a tradition that is the second home to generations of gardeners for well over half a century. Please read about the unprecedented challenges facing the Garden on our website and in our newsletters, and consider a show of support by donating, volunteering, spreading the word or simply enjoying a hearty breakfast at the next community pancake fundraiser!