Mountain Views News          Saturday, January 29, 2011

HAYES - AS I SEE IT (cont. from page 11)

 

 Tax breaks would be ended and loopholes closed. 
We wouldn’t, though, subject Social Security to “the 
whims of the stock market”. Also, the president made 
clear he wouldn’t sacrifice education and research to 
sustain tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of us.

 Government would be made more efficient and 
departments consolidated. The president invited 
Congress to have members’ meetings with lobbyists 
listed online, as is now the case for the White House. 
He said he’d veto bills containing earmarks.

 The president began his remarks on foreign policy 
with an obvious but needed statement; “American 
Muslims are part of our American family”. Also 
obvious but needed was his statement that 
“Afghanistan needs to deliver better governments.” 
In signaling impatience with ineffectiveness and 
corruption in Kabul, he confirmed troops would 
begin returning home in July.

 He announced visits to Brazil, Chile and El 
Salvador in March. When engaged abroad, the 
president reminded it’s “not just the power, but the 
purpose behind it” that matters.

 There was encouragement from recent elections 
in Sudan, and confirmation that the United States 
“stands with the Tunisian people” in their struggle 
for democracy.

 The president was proud to declare now there 
is “no American forbidden from serving the country 
they love because of who they love”, and urged that 
ROTC now be welcomed on all campuses.

 In the months to come, the president predicted, 
“we will argue about everything”, but reminded that 
“not a person here would trade places with any other 
nation on earth.”

 In a recent column, former Congressman Alan 
Grayson said the job of a president is not to preside, 
but to lead. Last Tuesday, President Obama indeed 
did the latter. 

WELBORN (cont. from page 11)

“the values that are difficult or impossible to 
quantify, including equity, human dignity, fairness, 
and distributive impacts”. 

 I’m not sure what any of those words mean in 
terms of real economic analysis, but I am very 
sure that the bureaucracies know what they 
mean: anything they damn well want them to 
mean. The EPA lost no time in telling us they 
were “confident” they wouldn’t have to change a 
single regulation. The EPA is already on record 
telling its regulators to “explicitly integrate environmental 
equity considerations into the fabric 
of its process”. 

 The sad reality is that any government agency 
can justify shutting down or severely restricting 
or taxing a company simply on the grounds that 
while the regulations may cost jobs, they somehow 
add offsetting value because they will help 
make the community fairer. Can’t really dispute 
it because “fair” is a tough one to quantify. You 
can use it to justify almost anything.

 My bottom line take on all this is similar to 
Rep. Paul Ryan’s. “Our nation is approaching a 
tipping point. Either the government leads the 
economy” or the economy will be “driven into 
the 21st century by the nation’s pioneer legacy of 
individual innovation”. The devil is always in the 
details. Obama has learned to speak like President 
Reagan, but he certainly hasn’t learned how 
to act like him.

About the author: Gregory J. Welborn is a freelance 
writer and has spoken to several civic and 
religious organizations on cultural and moral issues. 
He lives in the Los Angeles area with his 
wife and 3 children and is active in the community. 
He can be reached at HYPERLINK mailto: 
gregwelborn@earthlink.net

HOMES AND PROPERTY

13

 Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 29, 2011 

One Of A Kind: Featuring unique homes and gardens and the people whoe create them Story By Chris Bertrand 


Just Listed: Hilltop Contemporary with Panoramic Views from Valley to Ocean!


If you’re an aficionado of the clean 
lines, steel, glass and stone design, you’ll 
be in for a treat. 525 Lotus Lane in Sierra 
Madre, just listed, sits atop a hillside 
location perched for stunning views of 
much of the Los Angeles Basin. 

The four bedroom, three bath home on 
a third of an acre, was built in 1990. The 
three level floorplan offers 3857 square 
feet. After a winding drive up Camillo, 
the home is located at the end of a lane shared with several homes, 
where the property is wrought iron gated for added privacy. 

A study in white and grey, the home’s palette of materials and color 
uses white stucco and walls to complement grey steel, cabinetry and 
doors, extensive Utah stone and grey washed hardwood flooring plus 
a white marble master bath. 

Cubes of glass block provide light while preserving privacy, 
adding architectural interest and pattern both inside and out on the 
west face of the home. The single blocks reflect the western sunlight 
like glittery jewels strung on a necklace.

The architect used repeated long horizontal lines of the stucco 
separators, exposed beams that traverse from outside to inside plus 
the glass block arrangement to emphasize the width of the home. 
The veridigris-colored patina of oxidized copper for the gutter and 
top fascia lines draws the eye upward to the roof line and ultimately 
to the wide sky.

The Utah stone begins at the driveway and flows inside like a river 
bottom, in to the foyer, then down the steps to the living room and 
into the family room. Double stacked windows bring the views and 
the landscape in, allowing the eye and activities to move seamlessly 
from indoor to outdoor living. 

The floor to ceiling fireplace, faced with a continuation of the Utah 
stone, opens in three places: the see through living to family room 
and upstairs in the dining room, drawing an intimate feel around a 
formal meal.

The dining room exudes a feeling of an aerie, with two walls of 
glass, sliding doors to an outdoor balcony and an overlook to the 
living spaces below. The kitchen, also done in tones of grey, includes 
a walk in pantry, center cooking island with slab granite counters, 
Thermador appliances

The upper level bedrooms include a large master bedroom suite 
with a sleek white and grey marble counters, tub and shower 
surrounds, darker grey porcelain tile floors contrasted by black 
cabinetry and the shadow play of an inset ceiling. Since the home 
is high above other homes, a wall of sliding glass doors provides an 
unobstructed view and entrance to a huge private balcony, with a 
retractable shade cover.

A grotto planting area outside the main level living spaces and 
patio also provides architectural interest, with stacked diagonal 
planters forming interconnecting triangles against a retaining wall. 
For those who crave a bit of grass for play or relaxation, a large level 
lawn abuts the south face of the home.

525 Lotus Lane in Sierra Madre is offered at $1,848,000 by 
Caroline Khabbaz of Century 21 Earll, Ltd. For more information, 
contact the agent at 626-705-7705. 

Know of an interesting home, garden or person who helps create 
them? Send the details to Chris Bertrand by email to C.Bertrand@
MtnViewsNews.com


THE 47TH ANNUAL PASADENA SHOWCASE HOUSE OF 
DESIGN ‘EMPTY HOUSE PARTY’ DRAWS A CROWD

Unveils Celebrated Architect Paul R. Williams’ Estate and Kicks-off 
Community Music and Arts Programs Fundraising Efforts


PROCEED WITH 
CAUTION

Many sellers are tempted to list For Sale By 
Owner (FSBO) because they feel home prices are 
down and they don’t want to lose one more penny 
to paying a commission. But with fewer than ten 
percent of all home sales falling into the FSBO 
category, it’s a challenging strategy.

In personal terms, you’ll have to safeguard yourself 
against prospects who have not been screened 
and qualified by a professional. When someone 
calls to request a showing, note their caller ID 
and keep a log of visitors. Stash away prescription 
medications and valuables before showings, 
and afterwards check that all your windows and 
doors are locked.

There are also legal considerations for your listing 
and hopefully, your eventual sales contract. Be 
sure your listing complies with the Fair Housing 
Act, which prohibits discrimination against buyers. 
If you’re unfamiliar with escrow and title insurance, 
hire a real estate attorney to draft, review 
and record all documents.

This economy makes securing a loan difficult, so 
it’s wise to require a loan pre-approval letter from 
buyers before accepting any offers. If you really 
want to get attention, sweeten the pot by offering 
a two to three percent commission to any agent 
who brings buyers to you. FSBO is not the easiest 
route, and many impatient and frustrated sellers 
end up hiring an agent to make the sale happen.

GROUP from left to right: Assistant to the Benefit Chairman Eileen Reilly, Benefit Chairman Kathryn 
Hofgaarden, Interior Chairman Susanne Abbott, Exterior Chairman Linda Jenkins, President Marti 
Farley, Exterior Chairman Cindy Steffen, Exterior Chairman Brigett Guitron 

Pasadena, Calif.— Pasadena Showcase House 
for the Arts (PSHA), an all-volunteer non-profit 
organization, supporting outstanding music and 
arts programs throughout the greater Pasadena-
area community, held its Empty House Party 
this past Friday drawing more than 600 guests. 
The event unveiled the 47th Pasadena Showcase 
House of Design prior to renovation and kicked-
off the organization’s annual fundraising efforts. 
Over the next three months, 24 acclaimed 
interior and exterior designers from all over 
Southern California will transform this English 
Period Revival-style estate designed by celebrated 
architect Paul R. Williams into an inspiring, 
must-see destination for design enthusiasts and 
industry professionals. 

“We are most fortunate to be in partnership 
with some superb designers this year,” said PSHA 
Benefit Chairman Kathryn Hofgaarden. “Their 
plans for the renovation are remarkably 
innovative and will undoubtedly offer every 
visitor inspiration and enjoyment as well as 
practical information.”

Walking past expansive pastoral grounds, 
guests gathered inside this elegantly designed, 
architecturally detailed house while viewing 
illustrations and descriptions of the designers’ 
concepts. An extraordinary selection of culinary 
delights were offered to guests at gourmet 
stations located throughout the house. The 
menu, created by Peggy Dark of The Kitchen for 
Exploring Foods, included savory seafood, farm 
fresh grilled vegetables, delectable hors d’oeuvres 
and sumptuous desserts.

Showcase 2011 highlights one of Williams’ 
earlier designs that boast Old World charm 
and masterful detail. Built in 1927, Williams 
borrowed ideas from the past without using 
excessive ornamentation and married traditional 
architectural styles with smart, stylized looks. 
Resting in the heart of La Canada Flintridge, 
California, the estate features a 7,200+ square 
foot home, 1,800 square foot guesthouse, eight 
gardens, championship concrete tennis court, 
oversized swimming pool and accompanying 
pool house on 4.5 acres. 

In addition, the Showcase will feature for 
the first time in 47 years, a three-car garage as 
a design space. Outfitted with hearty design 
elements, such as custom-light fixtures made 
from welding tanks, this man cave will also house 
a wine refrigerator, beer tap and flat screen TV 
for the ultimate hangout.

One of the oldest house and garden tours, 
the 2011 Pasadena Showcase House of Design 
will be open from April 17 – May 15, 2011. The 
proceeds from the Showcase support music 
and arts enrichment programs throughout the 
community. Since its inception, the Showcase has 
helped raised over 17 million dollars and brought 
music programs to hundreds of thousands of 
school kids throughout Southern California.

Every year, volunteers come together to 
make the Showcase possible and this year is no 
exception. “I am inspired and amazed by the 
tireless efforts of our devoted volunteers working 
to transform this property into the 2011 Pasadena 
Showcase House of Design. I am really proud to 
be part of the organization,” said PSHA President 
Marti Farley. 

Approximately 35,000 guests will visit the 
Showcase House this Spring to view the results of 
the time and dedication invested by the designers 
and the PSHA volunteers. For more information 
visit PasadenaShowcase.org. Tickets cost between 
$30-$40 and can be ordered by mail, online 
or by calling 714-442-3872. For updates on 
construction and to follow the story of Showcase 
2011, please visit PSHA on Facebook http://www.
facebook.com/pages/The-Pasadena-Showcase-
House-For-The-Arts/182693644177