Happy Easter


SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2011

VOLUME 5 NO. 17

What’s Going On In Sierra Madre? Part 1 of 2

A Flurry of New Business Investments: New 
Openings, Store Expansions, Plans on 
the Drawing Board and Proposals at the 
Planning Commission by Chris Bertrand, On Special Assignment

The Village Gets Ready For 
The Big Parade

“Saturday, here in the park, I wish it was the 4th of July” Chicago

 
If you ask almost any resident of 
Sierra Madre what the biggest event 
of the year is, they will quickly tell 
you it’s the “Fourth of July” parade. 
The Parade, which has become the 
town’s trademark, second only to 
the Wistaria Festival, is a flashback 
to grand memories for the old and 
the beginning of a lifetime of new 
memories for the young.

 The event is organized by the 
“Fourth of July Committee”, a 
group of volunteers not associated 
with the city or any of the many organizations 
in the town. It is totally 
self funded through donations and 
remains financially solvent, even in 
tough economic times.

 Committee members receive no 
compensation for their hard work. 
The only goal is to preserve a tradition 
which is the epitome of life 
in these United States, a Fourth of 
July parade, hot dogs, apple pie and 
Chevrolets. In this town, it is a tradition 
of self made floats, marching 
units, hot pizza, concerts, the beer 
garden and of course, the Water 
Tanker.

 Each year spectators come from 
all over to view an real old fashioned 
event. Said one visitor last 
year, “it’s like turning back the clock 
to a time and place I thought no longer 
existed”.

 This year, plans have begun to 
make the event bigger and better. 
Dr. Matt Bosse returns as chairman, 
a position he has held for 
three years. Under his leadership 
the committee plans to expand the 
2011 event to include a Community 
Picnic on Saturday July 2nd at 
Sierra Vista Park from 3:00 to dusk. 
On Sunday there will be festivities 
in Memorial Park that will include 
food vendors, booths, the Beer 
Garden and a concert by Mercy 
and the Merkettes.

 On Monday, July 4th, for the first 
time the committee will host a Fun 
Run for the young and old beginning 
at 7:00 am at Kersting Court 
that will be followed by the parade 
at 10 am and games, food and vendors 
in the park beginning at noon. 

 So mark your calendars - Sierra 
Madre’s Fourth of July Weekend is 
not to be missed! 

S. Henderson/MVNews

Though opening or expanding a business in Sierra Madre can be a lengthy process, City Manager, Elaine Aguilar, 
and Director of Planning, Danny Castro, have seen a significant uptick in interest, new applications and applications 
in process within the city system.

In an interview on Friday, April 15, with both 
Aguilar and Castro, Aguilar commented “Even 
though cities around us have come to a standstill, 
we are going through a little resurgence. Property 
values are somewhat stabilizing locally, making 
business investments a little more optimistic 
here. Business owners are realizing that while 
unemployment rates are in double digits in 
many communities around us, Sierra Madre’s is 
just 3% as of January, 2011, per the California 
Employment Development Department (EDD). 
That translates to mean there’s disposable income 
here in town, making Sierra Madre a little more 
advantageous as a location.”

“Danny Castro and I can tell you that other cities 
have come to a screeching halt, but Sierra Madre 
has been very busy. We’re excited to see these kinds 
of investments and interest in the community.”


Of the many business projects in various stages of 
planning, construction to opening, the following 
are highlights of the status of nine downtown 
business projects, three residential projects and 
one school project.

NEW: Taco Fiesta, 345 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard

 At 345 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard, the site of the former Kentucky Fried Chicken sports a new sign as of 
April 19, Taco Fiesta. As the sign was hoisted into place, restaurant owners, Moises Larios, and his sister and 
brother-in-law, Guadalupe and John Calkins, happily responded to smiling inquiries from walkers, bus riders 
and drivers, some of whom lowered their windows to shout out congratulations or just to show their thumbs 
up approval. 

With only minor parking lot details to complete, a “soft” opening is planned for the week of April 25, with a 
grand opening planned for May. “We have people knocking on our door every day, asking when we’ll open. 
Everyone’s been very supportive and welcomed us.”

The family has Sierra Madre ties, including the Calkins’ son, who attended preschool here in town. Their 
artistic stainless steel sign was also fabricated by a local Sierra Madrean, Jamison Wians, through John Calkins 
professional connection with Global Entertainment’s scenery and set makers. Experienced in the Mexican food 
business, they recently sold two other LA-based taco shops in anticipation of opening the Sierra Madre venture.

NEW FACE:

New executive chef, Sean Roache, new name & menu planned 
for Charcuterie, 120 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard

As of April 10, Sean Roache has taken over the culinary reigns 
at Charcuterie. Roache and the owners are in the process of a 
name change and a major menu revamp and plan a grand re-
opening on May 7. 

A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena in 2003, Roache, 
an Arcadia native, has returned home after years on the road. 
He worked first at Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, and then 
spent the last seven years splitting his time between two tony 
country clubs, West Palm Beach’s Loblolly Country Club in 
Florida and Thousand Islands CC in New York. 

We have changed vendors and will now feature meats from 
the upscale, Newport Meat Company and fish from Honolulu 
Fish Company that promises fish from the boat to our kitchen 
within 24 hours,” said Roache. “People have noticed the change, 
and it’s busier already,” commented Roache. “Currently, we’re 
open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday at 11 and for dinner 
Thursday to Saturday. On weekends, we’ll now open bright and 
early at 7 a.m., for breakfast.”

Sierra Madre Medical: New Expanded Offices in Planning Stages at 147 W. Sierra Madre Blvd.

Dr Hani Sami 
and his architect, 
Norberto Nardi of 
Monrovia and Cal 
Poly Pomona, have 
worked with the 
city about a year 
on Sierra Madre 
Medical’s proposed 
7,000 square foot 
building planned 
for the rear of the 
current office site.

They and their 
supporters have 
made several 
appearances at city 
meetings during that time. According to Aguilar, the project has been approved by the city council, and the 
plans are in engineering plan check with the city.

Dr. Sami, who is also an Assistant Clinical Professor at USC’s Keck School of Medicine, opened his Sierra Madre 
practice in 1997 at another location, then moved to the current, 2200 square foot building in 2000. With more 
space, the Sierra Madre Medical project is intended to bring added medical staffing and pediatric (cont. pg. 3)


2009 Parade - Good Clean Ole’ Fashioned Fun

Taco Fiesta owners left to right, John Calkins, his wife Guadalupe 
and her brother, Moises Larios


FOURTH OF JULY 
PARADE GRAND 
MARSHAL 
SOUGHT

The Sierra Madre Fourth of July 
Committee is looking for candidates 
for the 2011 Fourth of July Parade 
Grand Marshal. The Parade will be 
held Monday, July 4, 2011.

 

Parade Grand Marshal Candidates 
should echo the spirit of Sierra 
Madre, be an active volunteer in any 
of the local nonprofit organizations, 
or in some way contributed to the 
betterment of Sierra Madre.

 

Nominations must be submitted 
by Tuesday, May 17th and should 
be sent to the Fourth of July 
Committee, P.O. Box 1073, Sierra 
Madre, CA 91025 or via e-mail to 
matthewbosse@hotmail.com 

 

The Parade begins at 10 a.m. at 
Sunnyside and Sierra Madre Blvd., 
following complimentary breakfast 
at the Woman’s Club Essick House. 
The Parade ends at about 11:30 a.m. 
with activities following in Memorial 
Park until 4 pm.

GUNS NOT WANTED HERE

Pasadena Protest Pros & Cons Pg. 4


Inside This Edition...

CALENDAR Page 2 

Sierra Madre News Page 3

Pasadena/Altadena Page 4

Arcadia Page 5

Monrovia/Duarte Page 6

Celebrate The Earth Page 7 

Education & Youth Page 8

Good Food & Drink Page 9

Arts & Entertainment Page 10

Legals Page 11

Left/Right Page 12

Opinion Page 13

The World Around Us Page 14

 The Good Life Page 15

Homes & Property Page 16

More News For You Page 17

 FYI Page 18 

Sierra Madre 
City Council 
Reorganization 
Set For Tuesday, 
April 26th

6:30 p.m.

City Council Chambers


Read The Paper Online At: www.mtnviewsnews.com