Sport Chalet

Sport Chalet made modest sales gains in the fourth quarter, stoked by a cold winter and enhanced customer marketing, the company reported. In the fourth quarter ending March 28, sales at the La Cañada Flintridge-based sporting goods chain increased 6.8% to $90.2 million, up from $84.5 million for the same quarter a year ago. The jump was driven by a same store sales increase of $4.7 million, or 5.7%, said Chief Operating Officer Craig Levra....

One day after Sport Chalet reported a net loss of $1.9 million in its first quarter — the 10th consecutive quarterly loss for the retailer — Chairman and Chief Executive Craig Levra told shareholders the company is being positioned to make gains despite a stagnant retail climate. "We will do better," Levra said of the sporting goods chain. "We are not sure when the economy will do better." The remarks were made Tuesday during Sport Chalet's annual stockholders meeting at the corporate headquarters in La Cañada Flintridge.

Sport Chalet, based in La Cañada, was recently recognized by the Lance Armstrong "Live Strong" campaign and its corporate sponsor, Nike, as top retailer in the United States. Lance Armstrong is a professional road racing cyclist that has won the Tour de France a record seven times. In the late 1990s he was diagnosed with testicular cancer that had metastasized to his brain and lungs. He underwent chemotherapy and went on to break records at Tour de France and to inspire the world.

Boy Scouts of Troop 555 sponsored by Delphi Academy are helping Santa and Sport Chalet gift wrapping your gifts every day through Christmas Eve. This is the eight year Troop 555 has been asked to coordinate with Sport Chalet to offer free gift wrapping to Sport Chalet customers. The scouts are fulfilling there community service hours. They will wrap the smallest item to the larger items, like bicycles and snowboards. Money received as donations with help sponsor some of the upcoming activities for 2006 such as Joshua Tree Rock Climbing, Sailing, White Water Rafting, Camp Cherry Valley and other high adventure experiences.

Henry’s Farmer’s Market, a grocery store operating in 28 locations in San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties, has expressed interest in leasing the former Sport Chalet site on Foothill Boulevard, it was confirmed by Fred Buss, senior planner in the city planning department. Henry’s is one of two groceries that has contacted the city about the facility in recent months; however, neither has initiated paperwork to begin a project there as of this week, Buss said.

Sport Chalet first went into labor more than 20 years ago. This column won't attempt to address whose fault it was Sport Chalet ever got into "trouble" in the first place. It takes two to tango, and both the then city fathers (who Sports Chalet says got them drunk and made them "do it"and don't remember ever meeting Sport Chalet and if they did they weren't the only ones Sport Chalet had meetings with! And anyway, Sport Chalet was "asking for it.") and Sport Chalet share some of the blame.

Over the long Memorial Day weekend Sport Chalet Inc., headquartered in La Cañada Flintridge, celebrated the grand opening of its 41st location a 40,000-square-foot store at 1350 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks. The grand opening celebration featured a host of activities and included sports demonstrations and giveaways. The new store will feature an on-site Scuba training pool that is slated to open in late summer. Sport Chalet was founded in 1959 by La Cañada resident Norbert Olberz.

Dan Ducey, a representative of Leki walking poles, will be conducting a free Nordic walking demonstration for the public at the Sport Chalet in La Cañada on Saturday, Nov. 19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Everyone will be encouraged to pick up a pair of Nordic walking poles and try Nordic walking for themselves. Leki is the world's leading manufacturer of ski, hiking and trekking poles. It had its start in Kircheim, Germany as a hobby of its founder, Karl Lenhart. He developed an aluminum tempering process that produces a pole shaft of incomparable strength.

The rapidly developing new Town Center probably wouldn?t be in existence today were it not for Sport Chalet Founder Norbert Olberz, said Pat Anderson, president of the La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce. Sport Chalet is slated to occupy one of the large buildings at the Town Center?s nine-acre site, which is owned by the Olberz family?s La Cañada Properties. Norbert Olberz, who will turn 83 next month, has been a La Cañada resident since 1959. Anderson said the chamber acknowledges the importance of Olberz?

Ten Years Ago The Bridgestone-Firestone store in La Cañada was among many across the nation suffering from the fallout of a massive tire recall announced by the company. Ford Explorers were the vehicle most commonly affected by the recall.   Twenty Years Ago An unemployed 35-year-old La Cañada man was arrested on charges of armed robbery after holding up the La Cañada Arco station. The man, who used a gun to carry out the crime, was easily identified because he was wearing a shirt that had his name on it.   Thirty Years Ago More than 30 La Cañada homes were targeted by thieves in a four-week crime spree during the summer of 1982 when more than $52,000 worth of goods were reported stolen.

One day after Sport Chalet reported a net loss of $1.9 million in its first quarter — the 10th consecutive quarterly loss for the retailer — Chairman and Chief Executive Craig Levra told shareholders the company is being positioned to make gains despite a stagnant retail climate. "We will do better," Levra said of the sporting goods chain. "We are not sure when the economy will do better." The remarks were made Tuesday during Sport Chalet's annual stockholders meeting at the corporate headquarters in La Cañada Flintridge.

A Willy Wonka-esque adventure is well underway somewhere off the Southern California coast. Sport Chalet, in association with TUSA, Aqua Lung, Mares and Sea Pearls, has invited certified scuba divers to go searching for three gold bars, which are redeemable at any Sport Chalet. Each bar doubles as a Sport Chalet gift card, with values of $5,000, $3,000 and $1,000. This is Sport Chalet's first treasure hunt, and the La Cañada-based sporting goods chain plans to make it an annual event, said Jacqueline Collard, senior marketing manager.

Wildlife activists prevailed over youth sports proponents this week when the Pasadena City Council voted Monday to reject one of two proposed sports fields in Hahamongna Watershed Park, across the street from La Cañada High School. And the field that remains on the drawing board may well get the boot one day down the road, as the conservationists continue their fight to keep the area behind Devil's Gate Dam as open and wildlife-friendly as possible. Where's the hue and cry, the gnashing of teeth?

Architects for Henry's Market submitted plans Thursday for the old Sport Chalet building that included removing the 45-foot marquee, adding windows along Foothill Boulevard and reconfiguring and re-landscaping its parking lot. Submitting the preliminary design review to the La Cañada Flintridge Design Commission was the first step in remodeling and reopening one of the city's central-most commercial properties. The California grocery chain bought the 67,897-square-foot lot, at 920 Foothill Blvd.

Panera Bread opened its new La Cañada Flintridge store Tuesday, drawing hungry patrons eager to sample menu items that include a Fuji apple chicken salad and a turkey artichoke sandwich. The bakery and cafe is the latest addition to the Town Center, at the northeast corner of Foothill Boulevard and Angeles Crest Highway, home to the Sport Chalet headquarters and several other retailers and eateries. "We have been really anxious to get it open," store manager Layla Tabata said.

No sympathy for 'no walk' LCHS graduate After reading the letter to the editor from the mother of a La Cañada High School senior who was not allowed to walk at his commencement exercises due to excessive absences, I'm having trouble controlling myself to write an articulate letter. The child had absences that were "excused or not." I'm sure La Cañada High has some rules in place that deal with this sort of thing. That child broke them, plain and simple. He needs to take responsibility for his actions.

Henry's Market submits preliminary design The La Cañada Flintridge Design Commission will review today a preliminary design for Henry's Market, a new grocery store slotted to open in the old Sport Chalet building at 920 Foothill Blvd. The meeting, which is open to the public, begins at 7:30 a.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall, 1327 Foothill Blvd. Henry's Market, founded in San Diego in 1943, is known for its fresh produce and old-fashioned-market-style stores.