TOWER OF TUNA

Around town:
Help build ‘Tower of Tuna’
By Anita Susan Brenner

There’s two ways of looking at the current situation. Optimism. Pessimism.

True, the economy is bad. And the Dow is tanking. Last weekend, a ring of fire surrounded Southern California. Homes were lost. People were displaced. And now, the homeless shelters and food pantries are running out of food. The reason is simple. The economy is tough and donations are down.

There’s two ways to react to all of this. You can either wring your hands and complain, like “Debbie Downer” on Saturday Night Live. Be as depressing as possible and make everyone else miserable.

Or you can help build a tower of tuna.

That’s right. A tower of tuna. Canned tuna. Right here at the La Cañada Valley Sun offices.

Won’t Carol Cormaci be surprised when she reads this! I sort of forgot to ask her.

Won’t City Hall be surprised when they read this? I sort of forgot to apply for a building permit.

Dear Carol et. al,

Here’s my idea: Let’s build a tower of tuna in the lobby of the Valley Sun. It will be a historical first.

Just do the math. There are 20,000 people living in La Cañada. If each person brings one can of tuna to the Valley Sun offices, then we could fill up my pick-up truck with tuna.

Naturally, this is not my idea. I stole it from some rabbis.

I stole the idea because I like the idea of building things out of cans.

I stole it because we all like tuna.

I stole it because I have a dream.

A dream of a tower of tuna, canned tuna, inside the Valley Sun lobby.

An architectural wonder.

To say “the sky is falling” is fun, but it’s more fun to say, “the Tower of Tuna is falling.”

To say, “the Dow is falling” is au courant, but not as timely as shouting, “Look out! The Tower of Tuna is falling.”

Sounds fishy? This is no joke. After Thanksgiving, I’ll come by in my pick-up truck. I’ll gaze upon a tower built from 20,000 cans of tuna. One from each of you.

I’ll spend hours picking them up. I will treasure each can. Then I’ll put them in the bed of the truck. All by myself. I’ll drive over to the to the nonprofit food pantry where the tuna will be distributed to the elderly and the poor.

Thank you, gentle readers, in anticipation of your considerable generosity.

TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE TOWER OF TUNA: Deliver cans of tuna (other canned foods gratefully accepted as well) to the Valley Sun, 1061 Valley Sun Lane, La Canada, CA 91011. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call (818) 790-8774.
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