Inside this Week:

Calendar:
SM Calendar of Events

Sierra Madre:
Sierra Madre Police Blotter
SM Search-and-Rescue Log

Pasadena – Altadena:
Pet of the Week

Around the SGV / Nature:
Christopher Nyerges
What's Going On
Pet of the Week

Arcadia:
Arcadia Police Blotter

Monrovia – Duarte:
Monrovia Police Blotter

Education & Youth:
Hall Pass

Newspaper Fun:
Newspaper Fun!

Food & Arts:
Chef Peter Dills
Table for Two
In the Kitchen
Sean's Shameless Reviews

Left Turn / Right Turn:
Curbing Bad Behavior
Tina Dupuy
Joe Gandelman
As I See It
Gregory J. Wellborn

Opinion:
My Turn
Rich Johnson
Out to Pastor
Stuart Tolchin On …
The Funnies

Legal Notices (1):

Legal Notices (2):

Legal Notices (3):

Homes & Property:
One of a Kind

The Good Life:
Your Health Matters
Senior Happenings

The World Around Us:
On Line
Looking Up
Ask jai …
Happy Tails
… This and That

Sports:
On the Course
Huddle Up!

Columnists:
Meaghan Allen
Chris Bertrand
P. J. Carpenter
Ron Carter
Peter Dills
Bob Eklund
Bobby Eldridge
Hail Hamilton
Howard W. Hays
Harvey Hyde
Jai Johnson
Rich Johnson
Sean Kayden
Chris LeClerc
Christopher Nyerges
Joan Schmidt
Rev. James L. Snyder
John M. Talevich
Stuart Tolchin
Katie Tse
Gregory J. Wellborn

Recent Issues:
Issue 1
Volume 5:
Issue 53
Issue 52
Issue 51
Issue 50
Issue 49
Issue 48
Issue 47
Issue 46
Issue 45
Issue 44

MVNews this week: Page 1

Useful Reference Links

Local Weather

Map: Sierra Madre mud and debris flow
News about Sierra Madre
mud and debris flow

Mountain Views News 80 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. #327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.604.4548 www.mtnviewsnews.com

or for 25 years and a top selling agent at the local office since 1988, and ranked in the top 1% of Prudential agents since 1993. She has served as a Director of the Arcadia Association of Realtors. Barker, born and raised in Pasadena, and attended Arcadia High School. He has been a Realtor since age 18, when, in his first year, he rose to top agent at his office and remained there from 1976-82. Since then, he has managed or owned several large real estate franchises in Southern California, served as President of the Arcadia Association of Realtors and held a Director position at the California Association of Realtors for several years recently. Barker is also President and CEO of Arcadia Real Estate Corporation, an organization that serves real estate professionals with online new licensing, continuing education classes and developed the iPad application, “Realty Agent” that has sold in over twenty countries. Regarding 2012 real estate in Sierra Madre, Rose said, “Sierra Madre is an interesting and unique town. It has actually been less affected by the downturn, and prices have been more stable here than in some other cities. Recently, I have noticed that buyers are feeling more confident about the market, and feel it’s a good time to buy. We have that Norman Rockwell, Mayberry kind of town, where people buy here for the special lifestyle Sierra Madre has to offer.” “People walk in the door here and want to do business. We have such a great location for that and great people to serve them,” said Barker. Rose and Barker plan to continue their traditional involvement with the 4th of July parade celebrations, the Wine and Jazz Walk, and other charitable and community involvements. They intend to grow this independently owned franchise real estate office, building on the 32 agents now in their fold. “We like the traditional name recognition and stability of the Prudential rock,” they said. For more information, contact Barker or Rose at Prudential California Real Estate, 115 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard. 626-355-1600. Potential Martial Arts/Wellness Facility Requests CUP Feb. 2 At Remodeled Former Highland Liquors Site Scheduled for a February 2 meeting at the city’s Planning Commission, the proposed tenant for 303 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard, Gary Gapezzani, will request a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to establish a Martial Arts and Wellness School for those “6-96 years old,.” The building was extensively updated by owner, Nancy Shollenberger, after the closure of Highland Liquors in 2011. A lifelong local resident who graduated from Arcadia High School, Gapezzani is an educator with two masters degrees and a passion for the martial arts. “I’ve been studying with the same teacher since I was fourteen years old,” said Gapezzani. He and a business partner, who ran a different martial arts studio, or dojo, together with a larger group, have decided to venture on their own at this time. “In the previous studio,” he said, “we all took a couple of days a week. This will be my full time job now.” Gapezzani continued, “I am looking at serving the entire community, from 6-96. Not only will we have beginning to advanced martial arts classes, we will especially be expanding into seniors exercise. I am trained in Qi Gong breathing and exercise, a system of breathing and slow movement very appropriate for seniors, similar to Tai Chi.” Qi Gong, a moving meditation practice connecting the mind and breath, involves postures, conditioning and training of the whole body from bones to connective tissue, plus the musculature. According to Dereck Purificacion of the Sierra Madre Planning Department, “Pursuant to SMMC Sections 17.36.020 and 17.60.30, fitness studios or similar uses in the Commercial Zone require the approval of a CUP to ensure that such uses will be rendered compatible with other existing and permitted uses located in the general area.” (cont. on page 3) On January 9th, after receiving numerous inquiries from residents, the Sierra Madre Police Department issued a press release warning the public that there is an investigation into another possible ‘skimming’ scam at the Valero Gas Station on the corner of Sierra Madre Blvd. and N. Baldwin. The police, however, were already aware of the possible crime prior to receiving reports from the community because of a reported vandalism on December 27, 2011. According to Edgar Artenyyan, owner of the station, when his employee arrived to work on that day,that the station had been vandalised. When the police arrived they discovered that “one of the gas pump doors was pried open and evidence that a “fraud skimmer” had been placed inside the gas pumps and then had been removed.” Customers did not start contacting police until about a week later when most had been notified by their banks that their credit and debit cards had been compromised. At press time, there were 17 such reports. In their press release, the SMPD stated, “This is very similar to the crimes that took place in 2010 where “fraud skimmers” were placed inside the gas pumps at the old EVG Gas Station located at 50 S. Baldwin Ave.” Owners of the Valero Station, formerly the Union 76, were understandably distraught and are cooperating with the authorities in both investigations. For sixteen years, Edgar Artenyan and Gary Tashchyan have operated gas stations in Sierra Madre. They originally operated a Valero station for 10 years, at 50 S. Baldwin. Then, when the opportunity became available, they bought the Union 76 station on the corner of Baldwin and Sierra Madre Blvd. and operated both stations for four years until they parted ways with Union 76 in 2008. When the Union 76 relationship collapsed, they moved the Valero operations to the Sierra Madre Blvd. location. As soon as the lease expired on the Baldwin property they put that business on the market. The business was sold in 2009 to Evengy Yakimenko who operated it as EVG until he disappeared when the first crime was discovered in 2010. Although many have been suspicious of the relationship with the current owners of Valero and the EVG owner, Yakimenko, Artenyan made it very clear in 2010 that he sold the business a year before the first scandal and had no ties with Yakimenko,, nor did he know him before the sale. One troubling fact expressed by several members of the community is that even in the EVG scandal, there were a few questionable transactions that were done at the current Valero station. However, according to law enforcement sources the EVG scandal did not involve the Valero station. And yet, despite the Valero owners spending more than $20,000 upgrading our pumps and credit card processing last year, it appears that thieves managed to bypass it. Since the investigation is ongoing, no dollar amount has been released at this time. And, although the SMPD and the US Secret Service and FBI are investigating both matters, at least one bank, Bank of America, is conducting its own investigation into the fraud. Police ask that anyone who has purchased gas from the Valero Gas Station from December 1, 2011 thru December 27, 2011 and used a debit or credit card at the pumps should check their bank statements and report any misuse or fraud to the Sierra Madre Police Department at (626) 355-1414. The former site of Highlander Liquors may become a Martial Arts Studio BE A FLOAT DESIGNER WINNER . . .CONTRIBUTE A DESIGN FOR THE 2013 SIERRA MADRE ROSE FLOAT This year’s design contest will be held until Friday, January 27th, 2012. We recognize that the official Tournament of Roses Theme Announcement will occur in mid-January, but we have been given information about the concept for the 2013 Parade. Please see the Tournament of Roses concept for the parade at www.smrosefloat. org/get-involved/design-a-float. Design Guidelines: 1. Designs must be received no later than Friday, January 27th, by 5PM at P.O. Box 603, Sierra Madre, CA 91025. 2. Design submissions need to take into consideration the Tournament of Roses 2013 theme. 3. Designers should consider the appropriate use of float riders, Sierra Madre Rose Princesses/Escorts (2-4) and animation. Float designs should represent a float no longer than 55 feet and 18 feet wide. 4. The design contest is open to all ages (need not be a Sierra Madre resident nor a Sierra Madre Rose Float Association member). Designs developed by Groups, Art Classes or other organizations are gladly received. Designers are encouraged also to submit more than one design. 5. Please provide a title to the float design. Submission should include a written description (no more than 100 words) of the concept and possible animations. 6. While only a very simple sketch is required to illustrate the concept, more detail can help in the selection process. Design Rules: 1. Designs must be submitted on an 8 ½ X 11 “Theme Draft Form” in black & white pencil. No color drawings or oversized drawings will be accepted. Do not put the name of your float as part of the drawing. 2. Designs submitted to the Sierra Madre Rose Float Association will become the property of the Association and may be modified by the Association to achieve construction and floral requirements. 3. Designers will be required to sign a Design Release form certifying the originality of their design and assigning those design rights to the Sierra Madre Rose Float Association. 4. The designer(s) may be asked for consultation. 5. The designer understands that he/she will receive no compensation, monetary or otherwise, for the use of the design and that the Sierra Madre Rose Float Association, City of Sierra Madre and/or the Pasadena Tournament of Roses have no obligation of any kind towards designer(s). 6. Submitted designs are not returnable. 7. Mail all designs to: Sierra Madre Rose Float Association P.O. Box 603 Sierra Madre, California 91025 For further information, please call the Sierra Madre Rose Float Barn at 626-355-7005, leaving a message on the answering machine. We will return your call as soon as possible. Submission forms available at www.smrosefloat.org TAKE A TOUR OF “THE LODGE” Last year, Dr. Roger Joe, a dentist whose practice was in Arcadia, bought the Masonic Temple and refurbished it. The second floor now houses a state of the art dental facility and the lower floor is a remodeled meeting/banquet facility for public use. On Tuesday, January 17th, take a tour of the building with the Sierra Madre Kiwanis Club and hear Dr. Joe speak on modern dentistry. The meeting begins at noon at “The Lodge” - 33 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. The public is invited, and lunch will be served. The cost for lunch is $10 per person. The tour is free and will being at 12:30. Call 626-355-0728 for lunch reservations. Inside This Edition... CALENDAR Page 2 Sierra Madre News Page 3 Pasadena/Altadena Page 4 Around San Gabriel Valley Page 5 Nature & Environment Page 5 Arcadia Page 6 Monrovia/Duarte Page 7 Education & Youth Page 9 SUBSCRIBE TODAY Page 10 Arts & Entertainment Page 12 Left/Right Page 13 Opinion Page 14 Homes & Property Page 18 The Good Life Page 19 World Around Us Page 20 SPORTS - Harvey Hyde Page 21 Read The Paper Online At: www.mtnviewsnews.com

Useful Reference Links

Local Weather

Map: Sierra Madre mud and debris flow
News about Sierra Madre
mud and debris flow

Mountain Views News 80 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. #327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.604.4548 www.mtnviewsnews.com