Al Evans of the LA County Dept. of Parks and Recreation told the Altadena Town Council Tuesday night that a farmer’s market at Loma Alta Park could start as early as April, although many details have yet to be worked out.
Evans said that the county was still taking applications from farmer’s market managers, although two so far are very interested in taking it on. What has yet to be determined is the day, with the market likely to take place on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning.
Even though Loma Alta Park is busy on weekends, with sports and Community Garden activities, the market shouldn’t interfere, Evans said.
Once a manager and a day is chosen, the county will be taking suggestions from the community on what they would like to see in the market, such as breads, flowers, or other items so the manager can identify vendors and bring them to the market.
In answer to community concerns about possible diesel fumes from generators, town council chair Gino Sund said that the lower park has electrical connections, so that should not be a problem.
Evans said that he hoped to be aple to bring three separate choices of market to next month’s meeting, with defined days and times.
In other park news, it was announced that the security bars installed in the Community Building during renovation would be removed, likely today (Wednesday). The building will be the site for the park’s TIny Tots program, and it was felt that being in a barred and secured building would not be a beneficial environment for the children.
The bars were to secure the building and its toys electronics from theft. However, Altadena sheriff station public information officer Lt. Joe Dempsey said that, in the past four years, there were only two instances of theft reported at the park, and both of them were from cars. “We will beef up patrols,” Dempsey said, but would need the community to get involved. There has been a problem with break-ins at area schools, so theft will still be a concern in the new building.
