The Class of 2011 - Part I Page 9


SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2011

VOLUME 5 NO. 23

HEROES: REMEMBERING AND REMEMBERED

Memorial Day Services Hosted by VFW Post 3208

Story and Photos by Bill Coburn

Alverno Neighbors Remain 
Concerned Over Master Plan

Research Supporting 
Mitigated Negative Declaration 
Called “Woefully 
Inadequate”

By Susan Henderson

On Thursday, the Sierra Madre 
Planning Commission heard from 
both supporters and opponents of the 
Final Mitigated Negative Declaration 
(MND) for the Alverno High School 
Master Plan. The plan includes 
expansion of the school’s facilities 
that include a 12,860 square foot, two 
story multi-purpose building; a 2,900 
square foot amphitheatre and a new 
multi-purpose sports field to replace 
the existing softball field.

Currently the school is operating 
under a Conditional Use Permit 
that was originally approved in 
1959. Alverno has not done any 
major renovations since that time. 
It is proposing the improvements 
and expansion in order to maintain 
its ability to compete with other 
private schools and maintain its’ 
enrollment. Currently the enrollment 
is approximately 350 young women.

After years of negotiations with 
neighbors and city officials, an Initial 
Study was done in March of this year 
to review the overall impact of the 
project on the community. In May, a 
Final Mitigated Negative Declaration 
was prepared for the Sierra Madre 
Planning Commission. On Thursday, 
the MND was reviewed and the 
commission requested additional 
information from city staff before 
approving the document.

Residents who live in the area surrounding 
the school are split in their 
opinions of the project. Many of the 
more vocal opponents have lodged 
their complaints with the school and 
the city. As a result, a series of community 
meetings were held last year 
that resulted in the school and the city 
mitigating certain issues, but there are 
still concerns being expressed over potential 
increases in noise and traffic. 
There is also concern about the impact 
of the project on the trees in the path 
of the expansion. 

According to CEQA, a Negative Declaration 
(or Mitigated Negative Declaration) 
can be prepared only when there 
is no substantial evidence that the 
project may have a significant effect on 
the environment. And while the city 
has submitted documentation to support 
a MND, opponents do not agree. 
The consensus of those opposed to the 
project is that the data used to support 
the MND was “woefully inadequate”. 

Before the MND was submitted 
to the planning commission, the 
state’s clearinghouse submitted the 
application from Alverno to numerous 
agencies for review. Reviewing the 
application to insure that the school’s 
plans would not violate any state laws 
or have an adverse impact on resources 
in the area were the California 
Departments of Fish and Game, 
Parks and Recreation, Transportation, 
Regional Water, Quality Control, Cal 
Trans and the Highway Patrol. In 
addition, the North American Heritage 
Commission reviewed the application. 
Of the agencies contacted by the state, 
only one, Cal Trans, issued a letter to 
the city. In it, the agency asked the city 
to limit heavy construction equipment 
to off-peak hours and to remain 
mindful of concerns regarding water 
run-off.

The planning commission listened to 
speakers on both sides of the issue in 
a marathon session that resulted in 
postponement of any action on the 
MND until July.


Alverno's Principal, Ann Gillick, was 
among several from the school and 
contracted specialists who made 
presentations at Sierra Madre's 
Planning Commission recent meeting. 
Over thirty persons spoke during 
public comment, with only a 
handful of dissenters. The commission 
discussed the current iteration 
of the plan until 11 p.m., asking for 
further work from the school. The 
plan will be revisited next by the 
commission in July. 

Photo by Chris Bertrand

Post Commander Dave Loera salutes 
as Paul Puccinelli performs 
Taps at Memorial Day service

A standing room only crowd estimated 
at more than 200 people 
turned out to honor the nation’s 
fallen soldiers at Pioneer Cemetery 
today, Memorial Day, at a service 
put on by Sierra 
Madre’s Harry L. Embree 
VFW Post 3208.

Commander Dave 
Loera presided over 
the ceremony, which 
began with the posting 
of the colors by members 
of the VFW, followed 
by the Pledge of 
Allegiance.. Rev. Patrick 
Brennan of Mater 
Dolorosa gave the invocation, 
and Patrick 
and Mary Cronin led 
the crowd in singing 
the National Anthem, 
America the Beautiful 
and God Bless 
America.

Commander Loera introduced 
Mayor John 
Buchanan, who spoke 
briefly about Memorial 
Day, thanking the 
veterans and applauding 
the VFW members 
for the spirit in which 
they present the service 
on an annual basis. He asked 
the crowd to remember that “this 
day is their special day, but so too, 
is tomorrow.”

Buchanan then introduced keynote 
speaker Council Member MaryAnn 
MacGillivray. Ms. MacGillivray 
spoke for just under twenty 
minutes, reciting statistics on the 
number of casualties and deceased 
in various wars, and quoting presidents, 
statesmen, historians and 
military figures. She reminded the 
audience that Sierra Madrean Howard 
Miller, who is buried in Pioneer 
Cemetery, and whose widow, Tommie 
Anne still lives in town, was 
one of the men who raised the flag 
at Iwo Jima. And she spoke of what 
America is, and that others strive to 
be like America.

“We’re a collective mix of greatness 
and greed, high tech and heartland. 
We are the country of Mickey 
Mouse and Micky Mantle, from 
John Smith to John Glenn and Atlas 
Booster, from Charles Lindbergh to 
Charlie Brown, from Moby Dick 
to Microsoft. We went from Kitty 
Hawk to Tranquility Base on the 
moon in less than seventy years. 
We’re blue grass and rock and roll, 
Marvel Comics and the Bill of 
Rights. In short, we are everything 
that everybody wants to be.”

She spoke of the recent passing of 
a 110-year old WWI veteran, the 
last remaining veteran from World 
War I. And she spoke of the need 
to keep the stories of our WWII 
veterans alive. She then introduced 
the VFW members that had served 
in WWII, allowing each to stand 
and be recognized, and they were 
recognized with a standing ovation 
and a long round of applause.

She introduced Staff Sergeant Ken 
Anhalt, who was a tail gunner on 
B-24 bombers. Petty Officer Gordon 
Caldwell, who served on the 
USS Saratoga, was next, followed 
by Staff Sergeant Art Contreras, 
who served in the Pacific Theater 
and was awarded the Purple 
Heart for his service. Michael Domenico, 
a US Army Engineer who 
served in Belgium, Luxembourg 
and Germany, as well as the Pacific 
Theater. She introduced Petty Officer 
Ted Evans, who served from 
1945 to 1949 in the Philippines, 
Japan and China, and Petty Officer 
George Metzger, who served from 
1943 to 1946, including Okinawa. 
“These gentlemen are our World 
War II heroes,” she concluded the 
introduction.

She closed by reciting the third 
verse to America the Beatiful, calling 
it a “fitting end to this day.” The 
words to that verse are:

O beautiful, for heroes proved

In liberating strife.

Who more than self their country 
loved

And mercy more than life!

America! America!

May God thy gold refine

Till all success be nobleness

And every gain divine!

Following the traditional laying 
of the wreaths by members of the 
VFW, Paul Puccinelli performed a 
flawless rendition of “Taps” on the 
bugle. The service was followed by 
a lunch of sandwiches, chips and 
beverages.

Entire video link: http://www.sierramadrenews.
net/?p=2497

Photo Story by Jeff Brown at 
http://www.youtube.com/user/
jab3jab48#p/u/0/-izPdOIrVbE

Post Commander Dave Loera


ALTADENA TOWN 
COUNCIL SEEKING 
ELECTION 
VOLUNTEERS

Inside This Edition...

CALENDAR Page 2 

Veterans Gordon Caldwell and Art Contreras

Sierra Madre News Page 3

More News Page 4

Pasadena/Altadena Page 5

Arcadia Page 6

Monrovia/Duarte Page 7

Education & Youth Page 8

Class of 2011 Page 9

Good Food & Drink Page 10

Arts & Entertainment Page 11

Legals Page 12

Left/Right Page 13

Opinion Page 14

The World Around Us Page 15

 The Good Life Page 16

Homes & Property Page 17

 FYI Page 18

The 2011 Election Committee is 
looking for a few more volunteers 
for the Altadena Town Council Elections 
on Saturday, June 11. There are 
five polling locations to choose from: 

Charles White Park 77 Mountain 
View Street (Ventura Street side)

 

Farnsworth Park 568 East Mount 
Curve Avenue

 

Gordy’s 843 West Woodbury Road

 

S& J Auto 1904 New York Drive

 

Webster’s 2450 North Lake Avenue

 

Shifts are:

9:00–11:00; 11:00–1:00 and 1:00–3:00

 

We also need ballot counters from 
3:00 to 4:30 at the Davies Building at 
Farnsworth Park. Feel free to take a 
polling shift, a ballot counting shift 
or both!

Email atcelection@yahoo.com to 
volunteer or contact Eric Pierce

Chair- 2011 Election Committee

Altadena Town Council atcelection@
yahoo.com or call 626 664-4300


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