Mountain Views News          Saturday, February 19, 2011

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

2

CALENDAR

Mountain View News Saturday, February 19, 2011 


WISTARIA FESTIVAL SHUTTLE 
TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

The Sierra Madre Chamber of Commerce reminds you that 
shuttle tickets to ride up to view the Wistaria Vine at its annual 
Wistaria Festival are now available online. The 2011 Wistaria 
Festival will take place on March 20th, 2011.

The Wistaria Festival features tours of the world’s largest 
blossoming plant, certified as such by the Guinness Book of 
World Records. Each year, the property owners upon whose land 
the vine sits, the Solts and the Dorrances, open their property 
to allow thousands to view the vine. Dozens of Sierra Madre 
residents volunteer to act as docents at the property, telling the 
story of the vine, which was originally planted from a 1-gallon 
pot that was purchased for $0.75 in 1894. At its peak, the vine 
covered more than an acre of ground, and in the early 20th century 
was so large that it even destroyed a home that was under it.

In addition to the tours of the vine, the two main downtown 
streets of Sierra Madre are closed to traffic so that 175 juried 
crafters and artists can set up booths to display and sell their arts/
crafts. Downtown village shops are open, and more than a dozen 
musical acts perform at multiple outdoor venues. Memorial Park 
is transformed into a combination Kids/Food zone, as bouncy 
houses, slides, rock climbing and other kids attractions set up in 
the park alongside food vendors, both for profit and non-profit 
alike.

The shuttle to the vine from downtown avoids a long uphill walk 
from downtown to the neighborhood in which the vine sits. 
“Day of” tickets for the shuttle have been reduced from $15 to 
$12 this year, and pre-sale tickets are just $10. This year, for the 
first time, seniors and kids (6 to 16) receive a discounted rate of 
$7. Children under five ride for free. There is no charge to view 
the vine.

Mountain Views News readers that purchase non-discounted 
($10) pre-sale tickets on line can also receive a $1 savings on their 
ticket by entering promo code MVN01 on the ticket order page 
when prompted.

To order tickets online, visit www.WistariaTickets.com.

Older “Sierra Madre” 

American of the Year

 The Senior Community Commission is now accepting nominations 
for the Older “Sierra Madre” American of the Year. If 
you know someone living in Sierra Madre who has demonstrated 
outstanding community service and is 60 years of age or 
older, please contact the Senior Services Desk at (626) 355-7394 
for a nomination form.

 Nominations are due to the Community & Personnel Services 
Department, 611 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., by Monday, February 
28, 2011. The Senior Community Commission will discuss 
nominees at its Study Session on March 3, 2011 and announce 
the honoree at their regular scheduled meeting also on March 3 
at 3 pm in the City Council Chambers. The honoree will also be 
recognized at a special reception held in their honor on Friday, 
May 13th at the Sierra Madre Hart Park House.

 Weather Wise

5-Day Forecast 

Sierra Madre, Ca.

 Mon: Ptly Cldy Hi 70s Lows 40s 

 Tues: Ptly Cldy Hi 70s Lows 40s 

 Wed: Showers Hi 60s Lows 40s 

 Thur: Showers Hi 60s Lows 40s 

 Fri: Showers Hi 60s Lows 40s 

Forecasts courtesy of the National Weather Service

Eat - Shop - Worship in

Sierra Madre!

Coffee Houses:

 

Niko’s & Friends Coffee

900 Valley View Ave Pasadena 

(On Sierra Madre Border)

 

Beantown Coffee House & Bakery - 45 N. Baldwin

Starbucks - Kersting Court Sierra Madre

 

Fine Dining:

Cafe 322

322 W. Sierra Madre Bl.

Ugo’s

74 W. Sierra Madre Bl.

Charcuterie

120 W. Sierra Madre Bl.

Four Seasons Tea Room

75 N. Baldwin

Corfu

48 W. Sierra Madre Blvd.

Great Shopping:

Laurel’s Apparel & Treasures

71 N. Baldwin

Angel’s Everywhere

26 N. Baldwin

Leonora Moss

9 Kersting Court

Iris Intrigue

49 W. Sierra Madre Blvd.

Belle’s Nest

55 N. Baldwin

Brown’s Classic Interiors

64 W. Sierra Madre Blvd.

Charlotte’s Jewelers

40 N. Baldwin

Savor The Flavor

11 Kersting Court

Once Upon A Time

14 W. Sierra Madre Bl.

Baldwin Jewelers

15 Kersting Court

 Churches

Episcopal Church of the Ascension - 25 E. Laurel

(626) 355-1133

Sierra Madre Congregational Church - 170 W. Sierra 
Madre

(626) 355-3566

Foothill Center For Spiritual Living - 49 S. Baldwin 
No. A

(626) 836-2022

Greek Evangelical Church

69 Suffolk Avenue

(626) 355-2153

Sierra Madre Church of Christ

212 N. Lima

(626) 355-1817

Sierra Madre United Methodist

695 W. Sierra Madre Blvd.

(626) 355-0629

Bethany Christian

93 N. Baldwin

(626) 355-1403

St. Rita Catholic Church

38 N. Baldwin 

(626) 355-1292

and much more! 

SIERRA MADRE WOMAN’S 
CLUB OFFERS SCHOLARHIP 
OPPORTUNITIES

Who is Sierra Madre's student poet? Student visual 
artist? Student photographer? Student singer or 
instrumentalist? Sierra Madre Woman's Club invites 
these students to show their talent by entering 
SMWC's competition. ART and Photographs must be 
submitted February 23rd at 550 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. 

 First Place winners receive gift cards and go on to 
statewide competition. Music Performance winners 
receive $500.00 scholarships. SMWC also offers Academic 
Scholarships to graduating students continuing 
on to college. Last year three local students received 
$6,00.00 total in academic scholarships.

Please inquire at smwcfinearts@charter.net

SIERRA MADRE LIBRARY’S FREE 
PARENT/CHILD WORKSHOPS TO 
FEATURE LOCAL EXPERTS

Sierra Madre Public Library’s new five-week Parent/
Child Workshop for families with children ages three and 
younger will feature noted resource professionals from the 
community. Each workshop session will feature a different 
aspect of parenting, including early literacy, speech, hearing 
and language development, child development, nutrition, 
music, play, and health. The workshops, which will take 
place at the Library on consecutive Wednesdays: March 2, 9, 
16, 23 and 30, from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., will be interactive 
and will include toys, crafts, books and play in addition to 
discussions of parenting issues and concerns. Enrollment 
is free, but in-person pre-registration at the Library is 
required to ensure a spot in the program.

The workshop itinerary and speakers are:

March 2: Orientation, Early Literacy – Meegan Tosh, Sierra 
Madre Public Library Children’s Librarian.

March 9: Speech, Hearing & Language Development 
– Justine Sherman of Justine Sherman & Associates, 
a nonpublic agency serving the speech-language, and 
educational needs of young children. Ms. Sherman also 
conducts a series of family programs to help parents 
enhance their children’s language and social skills in a fun 
environment. JSA is a family centered clinic that believes 
parent involvement and education leads to great carryover 
of skills.

March 16: Child Development – Dr. Tina Bryson, lecturer, 
parenting educator and psychotherapist at Pediatric and 
Adolescent Psychology Associates. Dr. Bryson is the author 
of “The Whole-Brain Child.” Tina combines practical 
parenting tips you can use every day with cutting-edge 
science. She gives parents easy ways to solve parenting 
struggles, lay the groundwork for whole and happy 
children, understand their child’s development, and be 
more intentional in their parenting. Come learn how to 
tame tantrums and build your child’s brain at the same time!

March 23: Nutrition – Dr. Edward Laurance, pediatric 
gastroenterologist specializing in nutrition and in treating 
children’s stomach and digestive disorders, along with 
Registered Dietician Wendy Crump.

March 30: Music, Play & Health – Melissa Moore Castillo, 
who holds a master’s degree in dance-movement therapy 
and has led preschool movement groups. Melissa is 
currently Sierra Madre School PTA President.

This project is supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum 
and Library Services under the provisions of the Library 
Services and Technology Act, administered in California by 
the State Librarian.

For more information, please call Meegan Tosh, Youth 
Services Librarian at (626) 355-7186. The Sierra Madre 
Public Library is located at 440 West Sierra Madre Boulevard 
in Sierra Madre.www.sierramadre.lib.ca.us 

SIERRA MADRE HEALTHY FAMILY 
FUN AND WALK WITH THE MAYOR 

The Community and Personnel Services Department will be 
starting the Healthy Family Fun program again for 2011! The 
Healthy Family Fun program focuses on monthly outdoor 
activities for families to enjoy together. Such activities will 
include: the Huck Finn Fishing Derby, Mount Wilson Trail 
Race Kids Fun Run, Capture the Flag, Historic Bike Ride 
and a monthly Walk with the Mayor just to name a few. 

The Walk with the Mayor will begin on Saturday, March 
5, 2011. Each Walk with the Mayor will be held the first 
Saturday of every month in 2011. Please meet at Sierra Vista 
Park at 9:00am for a stroll with Sierra Madre Mayor Joe 
Mosca for the March activity. There is no need to register 
for the activity, just show up with your walking shoes and 
plenty of questions for Mayor Mosca to answer!

 

For more information on Healthy Family Fun please call 
626-355-5278.

CHINESE TEA PROGRAM AT 
SIERRA MADRE LIBRARY

As part of Sierra Madre’s month-long One Book One City 
celebration of Chinese culture, the Library is hosting “The 
Joy of Tea,” with Linda Louie, on Saturday, February 26, at 
2:00 p.m. 

Ms. Louie will present the celebrated Chinese Gongfu Tea 
Ceremony (Gongfu Cha), a centuries-old custom practiced 
by tea connoisseurs that was discouraged and virtually 
labeled a crime in China during the Communist Cultural 
Revolution. Preparing a superior cup of tea involves an 
exacting method which tea masters study for years to 
perfect, and involves the marriage of method with chemistry 
and physics. The goal is a brew that is not only delicious, 
but is satisfying to the soul. Ms. Louie’s presentation will 
conclude with a tasting of rare Pu-erh tea, which is made 
from centuries-old wild tea trees.

This program is free open to the public. For more 
information, please call 626-355-7186, or visit the Library 
website at www.sierramadre.lib.ca.us. The Sierra Madre 
Public Library is located at 440 West Sierra Madre Boulevard 
in Sierra Madre.


MEMOIR WRITING WORKSHOP AT 
THE LIBRARY

Do you have a personal story to tell, but you’re not sure 
how to tell it? Have you lived an interesting life that others 
would find fascinating? Would you like to record your 
family history, but you don’t know where to start? Then 
this program is for you!

Denise E. Clemen, who holds an MFA in Creative Writing 
from the University of Nebraska, will facilitate a Memoir 
Writing Workshop for adults and high-school age teens at 
the Sierra Madre Public Library on Thursday, February 24, 
at 7:00 p.m. 

For anyone aspiring to write, it’s never too early—or too 
late—to begin, as Ms. Clemen can attest, as she did not 
begin writing until the age of 49. The diverse and unusual 
jobs she has held over the years, which include waitress, art 
model, au pair in Paris, and assembly-line worker for toy 
manure spreaders, actually proved to help, not hinder, her 
creative urge to write. 

Ms. Clemen has been the recipient of numerous fellowships, 
and has been published in juried literary magazines, 
including the Georgetown Review, for which she received 
honorable mention for the prestigious Georgetown Review 
prize. 

This workshop is free and open to the public, but 
registration is required, as seating is limited. You may 
register in person, or by calling 626-355-7186.