Mountain Views News          Saturday, May 22, 2010

3

AROUND THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY

 Mountain Views News Saturday, May 22, 2010

REMEMBRANCE:

Richard Otho Wimmer 

Beloved father, beloved brother, 
beloved son, much loved uncle 
and friend, born March 5, 1956, 
in Pasadena, CA passed away 
May 11, 2010, in Crestline, CA. A 
graduate of La Salle High School, 
in Pasadena, Richard spent his 
early years in Duarte, Monrovia 
and Sierra Madre. Richard is 
survived by his son Richard, his 
daughter Whitney, his daughter 
Lindsey, his brothers Joseph, 
Charles 
and 
Martin 
Wimmer, 
his 
mother 
Rosemary 
L. 
Wimmer, 
his nephews Ryan, Tim and Joe Wimmer, 
his niece Alyssa Wimmer and many aunts, 
uncles and cousins. A brother-in-law Rob 
Fiedler and his family in Wisconsin also 
mourn his loss. 

 Richard's father Joseph Carl Wimmer 
predeceased him, as did his grandparents 

Alma and Otho Lord and Anna and 
Joseph Wimmer. 

 Services will be May 28, 2010, 10:30 
am, Episcopal Church of the Ascension, 
25 East Laurel, Sierra Madre, CA with interment at Pioneer 
Cemetery in Sierra Madre.

PUSD Superintendent Begins Plan B Roll Out After Measure CC Defeat

Edwin Diaz, head of the Pasadena Unified School District, is not one to give 
up after loosing a fight. Despite the fact that the Measure CC campaign failed 
to convince two thirds of the voters that a parcel tax was needed to sustain 
the school district, Diaz continues the uphill battle for the salvation of public 
schools in Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre.

 The District was required to issue layoff notices to hundreds of employees, 
including teachers, last week. As a result, the resources available to students 
such as school libraries will close. Class sizes will increase and support services, 
such as security, academic assistance and para-educational services will cease.

 With no assistance from the parcel tax, nor the State or Federal government in 
sight, the threat of a $23 million deficit has become a stark reality.

 However, Diaz is a man with a plan. Recognizing that more that half the 
voting population voted in favor of the tax assessment, and that he has partners 
such as the Pasadena Educational Foundation, he recently sent a letter to the 
community outlining his plan for the future:

Dear PUSD Community Members,

Once again, I would like to express my appreciation to all of the volunteers, 
supporters and donors to the Measure CC campaign. Over the last several 
months, I’ve been moved and inspired by the level of sacrifice, support and 
passion demonstrated by those who gave their all to advocate for our students 
and our schools. 

Although the number of votes fell short of the two-thirds required for passage, a 
majority of community members voted to tax themselves to protect the quality 
of public education. 

I hope to build upon that commitment by strengthening and broadening the 
coalition we’ve established. 

Moving forward, I am optimistic that we can move beyond the year-to-year 
battle for limited state resources and develop a stable source of local funding 
to meet the educational needs of all PUSD students. As we make the difficult cuts that are necessary to balance this year’s budget, I 
remain committed to accelerating improvements in academic achievement and identifying resources to minimize the impact of budget 
cuts in our classrooms. 

You may be aware that our community partners are working to sustain the positive momentum of the Measure CC campaign, and to 
provide assistance during these difficult times. There are several things you can do immediately to help support their efforts:

• In place of the parcel tax, donate $120 or more to the Building on CC fund, which will raise money for librarians, arts and music. 
The Pasadena Educational Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, will manage the fundraising effort on behalf of PUSD, and 
your donation will be tax-deductible. 

• Visit a PUSD campus to learn more about our instructional programs, and encourage others to tour our schools. 

• Contact schools in your neighborhood to find out how you can volunteer to help fill the gap with your time, expertise or resources. 

• Support efforts by local and state organizations to lower the threshold for local parcel taxes to 55 percent. 

I appreciate your active support of PUSD students as you continue to volunteer, donate and advocate for our schools. Thank you for 
your partnership and friendship.

Sincerely, Edwin Diaz

 

 Diaz’s plea to the community to save the area’s public schools will need a rapid response from the public. He is hopeful that the 
PUSD’s efforts to deliver a quality education to our children not become a thing of the past. For the latest news and information about 
the Pasadena Unified School District, including Board of Education Meeting Highlights, watch KLRN-TV or go to www.pusd.us. 


Richard in 1974

As an infant, 
Richard played 
the Baby Jesus in 
Kersting Court. 

Important Freeway 
Closure Information: 

SR-60 Freeway 

The Pomona Freeway SR 60 will have limited closure on the 
following days due to freeway construction to create carpool 
lanes.

Full Freeway Closure

Nightly Sunday, May 23 through Thursday, May 27

• 11:59 pm - 4 am: East SR-60 from Fairway Drive to Brea 
Canyon Road 

Sunday Night, May 23

• 9 pm - 7 am: East and West SR-60 Between Brea 
Canyon Road and I-605 

• 4 pm - 7 am: East and West SR-60 on and off ramps at 
Crossroads Parkway, 7th Avenue, Hacienda Boulevard, 
Azusa Avenue, Fullerton Road, Nogales Street, Fairway 
Drive and Brea Canyon Road 

• 11 pm - 4 am: West SR-60 connectors to north and 
South I-605 

• 11 pm - 5 am: North 605 connectors to East and West 
SR-60 

• 6 pm - 6 am: South I-605 connector to East SR-60 

Nightly, Monday, May 24 through Thursday, May 27

• 7 pm - 7 am: Up to three lanes East and West SR-60 
between Brea Canyon Road and I-605 

• 6 pm - 7 am: East and West SR-60 on and off ramps at 
Crossroads Parkway, 7th Avenue, Hacienda Boulevard, 
Azusa Avenue, Fullerton Road, Nogales Street, Fairway 
Drive and Brea Canyon Road 

• 11 pm - 4 am: West SR-60 connector to North and 
South I-605 

• 11 pm - 5 am: North I-605 connectors to East and West 
SR-60 

• 7 pm - 6 am: South I-605 connector to East SR-60 

Nightly Street Closures

Sunday, May 23 through Thursday, May 27

• 11 pm - 5 am: Turnbull Canyon Road between Palm 
Avenue and Los Robles Avenue 

• 11 pm - 5 am: 7th Avenue between Gale Avenue and East 
SR-60 

• 9 pm - 5 am: Stoner Creek Road between Gale Avenue 
and Castleton Street 

• 11 pm - 5 am: Stimson Avenue between Gale Avenue 
and Garo Street 

Monrovia

Monrovia Reads Raises Over $9000 for Literacy

On May 3rd, 125 Monrovia residents and other book lovers gathered at the Monrovia Doubletree Hotel to eat, drink, socialize and 
raise money for literacy. The annual Cinco de Mayo Fiesta, organized by Monrovia Reads, and sponsored by the Monrovia Doubletree, 
raised over $9000 for various local literacy projects. In addition to donating the venue and dinner, the Doubletree donated raffle 
prizes, including a dinner for 8 at their restaurant, Elements, and weekend stays. Other corporate contributors, including Baskin 
Robbins, Krikorian Theater and Bank of America Home Loans – Monrovia, all added to the success of the event. The funds raised 
will go toward the following projects:

• The Pro-Active Tutorial (PAT) Program at Monrovia schools that supports struggling students in after-school programs and 
assists others in college preparatory programs.

• Monrovia Reads and Plays (MRP), a mobile library and recreation vehicle which takes books, games and sports to the 
community, providing literacy and recreational services to underserved children and youth.

• A Book Grant Program for middle and high school classes providing teacher-selected literature when lack of school funding 
prevents purchase, helping students complete reading assignments and then allowing them to keep the books for their own personal 
libraries.

• New Book Distributions to the community’s children, held in conjunction with the Foothill Unity Center and the City of 
Monrovia special events.

• “Read Across Monrovia”, a semi-annual event in March and October where community members read aloud to classes at the 
local schools. For more information on volunteering or donating please visit www.monroviareads.org.

Duarte


First Event Raises Over 
$30,000

 Cancer survivors lead the way at Duarte’s first 
annual Relay for Life event held on the grounds 
of City of Hope. Hundreds participated in the 
24-hour event which raised more than $30,000 
for the American Cancer Society. Major sponsors 
and teams for the Duarte Relay for Life included 
City of Hope, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, The Home 
Depot, Joe’s Place, SCE Credit Union, Wells 
Fargo, Rite Aid, Papa John’s, Allegiance Medical 
Transportation, 
Man-E-

Foundation, 
Duarte Public 
Safety, City of 
Duarte, Miyachi 
Unitec, Elks Club, 
Grace Fellowship, 
and Kiwanis. 
Funds raised by 
Relay For Life 
have played a role 
in nearly every 
major cancer research breakthrough in the last 25 years, leading to groundbreaking discoveries into 
cancer’s causes and cures.


Sierra Madre

Fourth of July Is All-City Celebration

There’s an age-old saying in Sierra Madre that says 
half of the town is in the Fourth of July Parade and 
the other half lines the streets to watch. That’s pretty 
accurate when one realizes the number of nonprofit 
groups that work so the other half can watch.

 Matt Bosse, Fourth of July chair, summed it up by 
saying, “That’s Sierra Madre!”

 Police Captain Larry Giannone explained that the 
Police ranks swell considerably during the holiday 
weekend.

 “The officers arrive early and put in overtime,” 
Capt. Giannone said. Prime time is during the early 
evening hours each day, and the purpose “is to keep 
people safe, to keep fireworks violations down and 
to control alcohol-related crime,” he said.

 But the Police also complete duties such as placing 
“no parking” signs on Sunnyside to Sierra Madre 
Blvd. and all the way to Sierra Vista Park. That 
route, of course, is that of the Parade.

 Fire Marshal Rich Snyder said the Sierra Madre Fire 
Department will have the whole crew of firefighters 
on duty during the holiday.   “We’ll also have our 
brand new water tender and our new ambulance in 
the Parade on July 5 this year,” He added that in the 
Parade will be two ambulances, two engines and a 
water tender.

 One of the main duties of the Fire Dept., of course, 
is the fireworks patrol for safety. Fireworks are 
illegal in Sierra Madre.

 The fire marshal concluded, “The Fire Dept. is 
happy to help people cool off; however, we must be 
cautious.”

 It’s amazing to see how the Sierra Madre nonprofit 
groups fill in with their food booths: Rose Float 
Association with their famous hamburger stand; 
Kiwanis Club with different types of pizza; Foothill 
Unity Center, hot dogs and popcorn. Arlene Wolfe 
is in charge of vendors for the holiday activities.

 Woman’s Club members are responsible for the 
Parade kickoff when they open their doors at 8 a.m., 
the day of the Parade. This year’s date is Monday, 
July 5, of course. Their clubhouse, Essick House, is 
located at Sunnyside and Sierra Madre Blvd., which 
is the beginning of the Parade. They decorate the 
historic building in patriotic colors, serve coffee, 
orange juice and breakfast danish.

 “Eunice Banis plays patriotic songs on the 1913 
Chickering grand piano for the sing-along,” said 
Dixie Coutant.

 At 10 a.m. they close the house and go out front to 
watch the Hometown Parade.

 Civic Club continues a decades-old tradition of 
selling Confetti Eggs: eggs shells filled with vari-
colored confetti.

Marlene Enmark explained that members save 
between 400 and 500 egg shells throughout the 
year. “We knock off the top of the raw egg about the 
size of a quarter, drain them, wash and dry them, 
and repack them in cartons to be stored until later.”

 She said that at the end of June, 40 to 50 members, 
spouses and friends gather for the annual “stuffing 
party.” Last year 450 eggs were filled and sold “and 
we’re looking toward 600 next year.”

 Mary Bickel remembers that confetti eggs were 
originally sold at the July 4 activities by the Athletic 
Boosters in the late ‘60s. Mary said she and Karlene 
Englert took the project to Civic Club when the 
Boosters abandoned it, and in 1970 the club started 
the unique holiday activity. Civic Club has been 
offering the eggs since.

 “Games in the Park” for kids after the parade are 
now sponsored by Colleen McEvoy, Fourth of July 
Committee co-chair. The games have been handled 
by several groups, and, finally, the Fourth of July 
Committee has taken the responsibility.

 Join in the fun. Join Sierra Madre in all of the 
holiday activities. 

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com