Press

Not all members of Save Altadena, a small army of individuals opposed to Wal-Mart opening in the unincorporated community in the mountains above Pasadena, agree on every detail involved in the campaign to stop the corporate giant from coming to town.

In less than a month, the group gained 270 members — more than three times the number of people who voted in the last election for the Altadena Town Council, an advisory board that has no real power but advises Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich on major issues, including the building of a Wal-Mart.

With so many new people coming together in such a short amount of time, it would be a stretch to say they agree unanimously on many, if any, issues. One thing that members of this growing political force all seem to agree on, however, is the need to keep Wal-Mart out of Altadena and promote businesses that are already there, businesses that have long been struggling and may not survive if forced to compete against Wal-Mart.

So far, neither the Town Council nor Antonovich have taken positions on proposals to allow two new Wal-Mart outlets — one, a Neighborhood Market at Lincoln Avenue and Figueroa Drive, and the other a store at Lake Avenue and Calaveras Street. Read full story