Happy Thanksgiving


SATURDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2010

VOLUME 4 NO. 46


GREEN FLAG 
ALERT 

The City's state of 
emergency level is 
now at Stage One: 
GREEN FLAG—
Activated under 
a prediction of 
80%—100% chance of precipitation. 
Affected residents should get "READY" 
for potential evacuation. This includes 
keeping a close watch on weather 
forecasts. 

A Community Comes Together

Sierra Madre Woman’s Club’s Annual Prayer Breakfast Brings Out The Best of Sierra Madre

On Wednesday, November 
16th, the Sierra Madre Woman’s 
Club held its 34th Annual 
Community Prayer Breakfast 
at the historic Essick House. 
Residents and guests from 
various religious and political 
backgrounds came together in 
the spirit of Thanksgiving. The 
call to order, “Come Ye Thankful 
People Come”, set the tone for 
the morning and seemed to 
convey the sentiment of all who 
attended.

 For many of those who have 
attended the event in the past, 
the breakfast, especially the 
club’s famous secret recipe 
Quiche is a big part of the draw. 
However, the messages from a 
wide range of religious leaders is 
still the main attraction. 

 This year the speakers 
included Rev. George Crisp, 
Pastor, Sierra Madre United 
Methodist Church,; Rev. Paul 
S. Beck, Sr., Pastor, Sierra 
Madre Congregational Church; 
The Very Reverend Michael 
Bamberger, Pastor, Episcopal 
Church of the Ascension; Dr. 
Philip Carlson, Pastor, Bethany 
Church; Reverend Patrick 
Brennan, C.P., Mater Dolorosa 
Passionist Community Retreat 
Center and Judge Dorothy 
Nelson, Baha’i Faith. All gave 
their reflections on Praise and 
Thanksgiving.

 More than 100 members of the 
community filled every available 
room in the Essick House in 
order to participate in the annual 
event. Mayor Joe Mosca and 
Councilmembers Nancy Walsh, 
John Buchanan and Josh Moran; 
City Clerk Nancy Shollenberger, 
City Treasurer George Enyedi, 
Fire Chief Steve Heydorff and 
Police Chief Marilyn Diaz were 
also in attendenace. The 
Chairperson for the event was 
Genevieve Stubbs.

Left: Fire Chief Heydorff, 
former publisher Jan Reed 
and former Mayor, Clem Bartolai. Mayor Mosca and Councilwoman 
Walsh can be seen on the far left. Inset: Pianist Eunice Banos adorned 
in the attire of the 1st Thanksgiving. Photos S. Henderson/MVNews


Joint Special Study 
Session of the City 
Council and Planning 
Commission, Tuesday, 
November 23, 2010

 

The City Council and Planning 
Commission will hold a special 
joint study session on the proposed 
new Canyon Zone. The study 
session will be held on November 
23, 2010, at 6:00 p.m., in the City 
Hall Council Chambers. The 
meeting is open to the public and 
there will be opportunity for the 
public to comment. 

 

Regulations pertaining to the 
development of a Canyon Zone 
have been discussed and studied 
in the past, but have never 
been finalized. The difficulties 
inherent in applying the 
current R-1 residential zoning 
standards to the Canyon area 
prompts the need to adopt new, 
separate zoning standards that 
allow reasonable development 
of Canyon properties while 
preserving the unique character 
and natural environment of this 
area. The proposed zoning would 
establish standards for dwelling 
size, building height, massing and 
setbacks, parking, lot coverage, 
permitted uses, construction 
sites, and other standards. The 
proposed zoning would apply to 
new construction and building 
additions.

 

The proposed Canyon Zone 
document is available for 
review on the City’s website, 
www.citysierramadre.com, 
under “Development Services 
Department”, “Planning and 
Zoning”. For any questions or 
for further information, please 
contact Development Services 
Department staff at (626) 
355-7138. 


Woman’s Club President, Rosemary Morabito, standing, attends to the ‘Power Table’ of religious leaders.

General Plan Update Town Hall Forum Well Attended Photo and Story By Dean Lee

 Although city staff was there, the 
first General Plan Update Steering 
Committee’s Town Hall 
Forum last Sunday had 
no formal presentation, 
instead focusing on pure 
public input. 

 About 300 residents 
wandered through the 
two hour event. The 
nine steering committee 
members were set up 
at six stations each one 
focused on a single 
element from the 1996 
General Plan. 

 “The idea is that you 
visit each of these 
stations and share 
you thoughts and 
comments,” said Danny 
Castro Director of 
Development Services. 
“The purpose of it is for 
the committee to gather 
the thoughts because 
this is really what helps 
them shape the policies 
and procedures that 
go into a new General 
Plan.” 

 The state requires there 
be seven elements to 
a city’s General Plan, 
land use, circulation, housing, 
conservation, open space, noise 
and safety. Cities can opt to add 
elements as long as they meet the 
requirements. Castro said there had 
been some discussion about adding 
a new green element to the plan.

 Sierra Madre’s current General 
Plan dates to 1996. A General Plan 
should be updated periodically so 
that it remains a true reflection of 
the community’s values and goals. 
The update process allows the City 
to reflect on challenges of the past, 
and use these experiences to shape 
new policy. 

 Castro said the committee will 
go over the collected information 
at their next meeting Dec. 7. “The 
information that we gather here in 
the way of surveys, and notes, the 
idea is it will be disseminated at 
other future meetings,” he said. “We 
will look at common themes that 
occur and things like that.”

Castro also explained that residents 
were encouraged to take the surveys 
home, “They can simply drop them 
off in the suggestion box at city hall.”

 Castro also said there is no set 
timetable for a General Plan, “You 
can take as long as you need.” He 
said the state also does not require 
city’s to update them, 
“so long as you have 
one and they meet the 
requirements.” 

 The process is being 
guided by a General Plan 
Steering Committee 
appointed by the City 
Council.

Members of the 
committee include:

Ken Anhalt 

Colin Braudrick

Wendy Davis

Denise Delmar, Chair

Leslee Hinton 

John Hutt

Edward (Ed) Miller

Debbie Sheridan 

Teryl Willis

MaryAnn MacGillivray, 
Joe Mosca - City Council 
Liasons;

Gina Frierman-Hunt, 
Kevin Paschall – 
Planning Commission 
Liaisons and 

Danny Castro, Staff . 

 Committee meetings 
are open to the public, 
and are held the first 
Tuesdays of the month 
at 6:00 pm in the City Council 
Chambers at 232 W. Sierra Madre 
Blvd. For more information or look 
at the 1996 General Plan go to the 
city’s website cityofsierramadre.
com or call (626) 355-7135.

PUBLIC HEARING ON 
ORDINANCE 1312, AN 
ORDINANCE REGARDING 
THE AMENDMENT OF THE 
MUNICIPAL CODE REGARDING 
WATER RATES AND ADOPTING 
WATER RATE SCHEDULE will be 
held on Tuesday, November 
23, 2010 at 6:30 pm.


Inside This Week...

CALENDAR Page 2 

SIERRA MADRE Page 3

PASADENA/ALTADENA

 Page 4

ARCADIA Page 5

MONROVIA/DUARTE

 Page 6

FEATURES

Education & Youth Page 8

Good Food & Drink Page 9

THANKSGIVING SPECIAL Page 10

Legals Page 11

Left Turn/Right Turn Page 12

Opinion Page 12

The World Around Us Page 13

The Good Life Page 14

Homes & Property Page 14

SPORTS Page 15

 Bobby Eldridge - On The Course

 FYI Page 15 

Former Sierra Madre Planning Commissioner John Hutt, listens attentively to a resident’s questions.


Read The Paper Online At: www.mtnviewsnews.com