Mountain Views News          Saturday, February 26, 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 26, 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: Sunny Hi 60s Lows 40s 

 Tues: Sunny Hi 60s Lows 40s 

 Wed: Sunny Hi 60s Lows 40s 

 Thur: Sunny Hi 60s Lows 40s 

 Fri: Sunny Hi 70s Lows 40s 

Forecasts courtesy of the National Weather Service

CITY OF SIERRA MADRE 
CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings listed below are held at City Hall 232 
W. Sierra Madre Blvd. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 626-355-7135

NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING:

March 8, 2011 6:30 pm

Arts Commission - 2nd Wednesday @ 6:30

Community Services - 3rd Monday @ 6:00

Library Trustees - 4th Wednesday @ 7:00

Planning Commission - 1st & 3rd Thursdays 7:00

Senior Community - 1st Thursday @ 3:00

Tree Advisory - 3rd Wednesday @ 7:00 

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 

1630 AM

Free on-air publicity for local events

Sierra Madre’s new community radio station is now accepting 
scripts for Public Service Announcements (PSAs) about 
community events. PSAs will be broadcast on the air at no 
charge. The station operates 24/7 and can be heard at 1630 on 
the AM dial.

Any local non-profit or non-commercial organization can have 
their event information broadcast to the public on Sierra Madre 
Community Information Radio. This new radio station covers 
the city of Sierra Madre, plus surrounding areas of Pasadena, 
Arcadia, and Monrovia. 

In a nutshell, your event must:

• Benefit a non-commercial or non-profit entity

• Be open to the public

• Be of general interest to local citizens

Just 
write a Public Service Announcement that describes your 
event and e-mail it to radio@cityofsierramadre.com. 

THE SIERRA MADRE CHAMBER 
OF COMMERCE AND 
THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE 
ANNOUNCE A SPECIAL 
POSTMARK CANCELLATION 
TO CELEBRATE THE SIERRA 
MADRE WISTARIA FESTIVAL.

This special postmark will be available at: 

Event: The Sierra Madre Wistaria Festival, 

Date: Sunday, March 20, 2011 

Hours: Open 11 A.M. to 3 P.M. 

Location: 

 The Wistaria Festival Postal Station at Kersting 

 Court in Sierra Madre

 Located at Sierra Madre Boulevard and Baldwin 

Bring postcards or letters and mail them from this special 
event post office and your friends will be surprised when 
they receive mail with this extraordinary postmark.

This postal cancellation has been announced and printed 
in the U. S. Postal Bulletin which is distributed worldwide. 
To accommodate collectors from out of the area, the Sierra 
Madre Post Office will cancel postcards and letters upon 
request with the Wistaria Cancellation for 30 days after 
the event. To postmark a letter after the event go to Sierra 
Madre Post Office and request the Wistaria Postmark on 
your mail.

For more information contact:

The Sierra Madre Chamber of Commerce 

Phone: (626) 355-5111

E-mail: Info@sierramadrechamber.com

U.S. Post Office Sierra Madre, California 91024 

City of Sierra Madre Community Arts Commission Presents: 
An Exhibition By Paul Fairbanks

You are invited to view the latest work of the Artist, Paul 
Fairbanks, who hails originally from the land of the Bean 
and the Cod. His natural ability to capture nature in its 
changing moods over the course of 48 years has allowed 
him to be represented in many private collections. Enjoy 
the fruits of his adventure! 

 

Paul Fairbanks' Exhibition

February 7 – April 1, 2011

Paul Fairbanks' Artist Reception

Friday, March 4, 2011

6:00 P.M. TO 8:00 P.M.

Sierra Madre City Hall

232 West Sierra Madre Blvd., 

Sierra Madre, CA 91024


BARGAIN BOOK SALE

The Sierra Madre Public Library is the place to go in March 
for the “Savin’ o’ the Green”—greenbacks, that is! The 
Friends of the Library will hold a bargain book sale inside 
the Library, Monday, March 7 through Saturday, March 12, 
during the Library’s open hours. This month’s featured topics 
will include Fiction, Films, TV, Hollywood, Politics, the 
Military, and Children’s and Specialty Books. All books are 
in good condition and are $1.00 each. Drop by often--there 
will plenty of new titles to choose from throughout the 
week, as books are replenished daily. 

 

TRAVELERS AND COLLECTORS SPEKAERS SERIES: 

"Collection the American Old West"

David Goff will present his collection of American Old West 
art and artifacts in Sierra Madre Library’s second Travelers 
and Collectors program, Friday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m. in 
the Sierra Madre City Hall Council Chambers, 232 W. Sierra 
Madre Boulevard. Pioneers and cowboys remain iconic 
figures in American culture, much admired for their “true 
grit” and independent spirit. We never seem to tire of movies 
and novels set in this time period, and even the everyday, 
commonplace items unique to this period continue to fascinate 
us. History buffs will not want to miss this hands-on 
program with David Goff, who has dedicated years to collecting 
and preserving the art and artifacts of this colorful 
time in our nation’s history.

 

This program is free and open to the public. A program 
schedule is available at the Sierra Madre Public Library, 
440 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., and can also be found on the 
Library website, www.sierramadre.lib.ca.us. Travelers and 
Collectors is held on the second Friday of the month, February 
through May, and is funded by the Friends of the Library. 
For more information call Catriona Shafer at (626) 
355-7186.

CHINESE TEA PROGRAM

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.

 

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.

SIERRA MADRE WOMAN’S CLUB MIXER

 Thursday, March 10, the SMWC hosts their annual 
Sierra Madre Chamber of Commerce Mixer at our 1914 
Essick House from 5:00 pm–7:00 pm – to which you also 
are invited. One of the best mixers each year, we work really 
hard to ensure our food spread is anticipated all year long. 
Chamber mixer: $7 for chamber members, $15 for non-
members. Tour our historic 1914 Essick House, also home 
to our award-winning Wistaria Thrift Shop. 

THE EVENING BUSINESS CLUB

Do you have an idea for a business venture, then this 
is the place to start!

Women At Work presents the Evening Business Club on 
Mondays, March 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th from 6:00pm to 
7:30pm $60 for the entire series if registered by February 
28th, after that $75 

Join us for a month-long series; these interactive classes 
will guide you through the basics of turning your dream or 
idea into a significant source of income. Led by a seasoned 
MBA entrepreneur, the workshops cover:

• Writing a business plan

• Legal and financial considerations

• Promoting your business

• … and more

You will have an opportunity to be a participant in an on 
going Business Club that will meet monthly following 
completion of the series.

Women At Work is a nonprofit career center offering career 
counseling, computer access and job seeking skills. The 
organization provides numerous workshops as well as 
classes in computer programs in both English and Spanish, 
in a small environment.

All workshops will be held at Women At Work, 3871 E. 
Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107. Registration is 
required by calling 626-796-6870, ext. 0. 

Visit our website: www.womenatwork.org 

Sierra Madre Police Blotter

Live from Burger Continental, Pasadena

The Harvey Hyde Show

535 So. Lake Ave. Pasadena (626) 792 
- 6634

Every Thursday 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Hard-hitting, High impact 
Sports Talk Radio

KSHP Las Vegas - 1400 AM

During the week of Sunday, February 13th, to Saturday 
February 19th, the Sierra Madre Police Department responded 
to approximately 366 calls for service. See crimereports.com for 
updated information.

Friday, February 18th: 

4:43 PM- Petty Theft, Montecito Ct. Unknown suspect(s) stole 
an unlocked blue Moongoose dirt bike in an alley behind Bean 
Town.

10:40 PM- Possession of Marijuana in Vehicle, W. Sierra Madre 
Blvd. During a check at Buccanneer Bar an officer contacted 
three adult male subjects in a vehicle, due to a strong odor of 
Marijuana. The owner of the vehicle admitted to possessing 
marijuana and was cited. Further investigations revealed that 
the other subjects in the vehicle were on probation and one had 
an outstanding warrant. The subject with the warrant was taken 
to Pasadena Police Department Jail for booking. 

Saturday, February 19th:

11:49 PM- Parolee Arrested, Don Diablo and Foothill Ave. An 
officer stopped a motorist for a Vehicle Code violation. Further 
investigations revealed that the driver was in possession of a 
glass smoking pipe used to smoke crack cocaine. The driver 
was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia. It was 
later determined the driver was a parole with an outstanding 
felony warrant. The Highland Park resident was transported to 
Pasadena Police Department Jail.