Mountain Views News          Saturday, January 14, 2012

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT 
cont. from page 1

Harlequin Art Gallery 
Closes. Building Sold. 

The retail building at 12-14 N. 
Baldwin has sold and Harlequin 
Art Gallery has closed its doors 
after decades in downtown 
Sierra Madre.

As of today, Ilona van Dongen 
is retired, according to an email 
to this reporter. Harlequin Art 
Gallery is officially closed. Van 
Dongen’s husband, Frank, a 
well known, longtime business 
man in Sierra Madre, died 
recently in 2009. The property 
was listed in April and the sale 
closed January 5, last week to 
local buyers, Charles & Robyn 
Tapert, according to LoopNet, 
which provides commercial 
real estate data.

Craig Cardella of Keller 
Williams Realty in Pasadena 
represented Tapert, the buyer. 
Tapert is president of Stone 
Tapert Employee Benefits and 
Financial Services in Pasadena, 
a company helping businesses 
with employee benefits for over 
50 years. He said “I grew up 
here on Orange Grove, and have 
lots of business and personal 
ties to the community. We’re 
not sure what we’re going to do 
with the building, but whatever 
we do, it will be something 
that we’ll make the city proud 
of. It’s a perfect location for a 
new business to further revive 
and improve the Sierra Madre 
business community.”

Frank van Dongen settled 
in Arcadia, sponsored from 
Holland in the late 1960’s. Early 
on, he built homes on Santa 
Anita in Arcadia. He eventually 
opened Frank’s Fresh Fish 
Market on Kersting Court in 
Sierra Madre, selling fresh and 
prepared fish in the space now 
occupied by Lucky Baldwin’s. 
When it was time for a career 
change, he went back to his 
early tutelage in art restoration, 
and opened an art gallery and 
frame shop on Kersting Court. 

The building was sold 
unexpectedly, and the building 
owner across the street at 14 
N. Baldwin heard of their 
predicament, and offered to 
build out the undeveloped 
lower level there. Van Dongen’s 
art restoration business grew 
in size and reputation. He and 
his staff became renowned as 
exceptional restorers, giving 
new life to all kinds of art, 
including religious icons from 
the 16th century and later, 
with clients from all over the 
country. 

Frank van Dongen was very 
active in the Sierra Madre and 
Arcadia communities, as a 
member and president of both 
the Sierra Madre and Arcadia 
Chambers of Commerce. He 
was often deeply involved in 
Sierra Madre politics, even 
running for a city council seat 
in 1986.

 “Sierra Madre is good place for 
family and other businesses to 
locate.” Bill Ukropina Coldwell 
Banker Commercial

Bill Ukropina, a 30+ year 
veteran commercial real 
estate broker involved in 
many landmark sales and 
lease transactions in the San 
Gabriel Valley including St. 
Luke Hospital and the 7.88 
acre 151,444 square foot World 
Vision properties in Pasadena, 
represented the seller.
Ukropina, of Coldwell Banker 
Commercial North County in 
Pasadena, commented to this 
reporter on the state of the 
Sierra Madre business market. 
“Sierra Madre is good place for 
family and other businesses to 
locate and it’s a desirable area, 
yet there is probably not going 
to be a lot of new development 
in the future because there’s 
is little land available for 
expansion. I see more and 
more businesses interested in 
Sierra Madre, but I doubt it 
will ever be overbuilt. I find it 
a business friendly small city. 
When I worked with the city 
to discuss the permitted uses 
and others that would require 
a Conditional Use Permit, staff 
members were helpful and 
friendly.”

Crystal Cleaners to Remain at 
12 N. Baldwin

The adjacent business, Crystal 
Cleaners at 12 N. Baldwin, will 
remain at the location under 
the building’s new ownership, 
according to family of Crystal’s 
owner, Alina Avakyan.

Sierra Madre Medical 
Progressing on New Facility 
Plans

Sierra Madre Community 
Medical Group signed 
the contract with ACME 
Construction (www.ACMEcos.
com) to start the project 
during the month of January. 
The project is going to be 
financed by Bank of America, 
and Nardi Associates LLP, 
Architects of record, with local 
offices in Monrovia, will be 
involved with the construction 
supervision. ACME Corporate 
offices are located at 80 S. Lake 
in Pasadena. 

3


Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 14, 2012 

GET READY FOR THE 2012 

MOUNT WILSON TRAIL RACE 

WITH TEAM CROSSFIT 
ACADEMY!

The 2012 race will be here before you know it: 
Saturday, May 26.

Coach Eric LeClair and Team CrossFit Academy will be returning 
for their seventh year to provide free Saturday morning 
training runs for this challenging event for any interested 
trail runner. The training is a 16-week program designed 
with three different ability groups.: Beginner, Intermediate, 
and Advanced. The first training session will begin Saturday 
morning, February 4th at 7:00A in Kersting Court. It is 
recommended that all interested runners begin their training 
on this date; each Saturday morning will feature a different 
training run.

Coach LeClair has had hundreds of runners and racers within 
the ranks of the training team over the past six years. The 
training program has been so successful that it has resulted in 
over 20 Top 3 finisher medals!

From the beginning trail runner to the experienced veteran 
racer, all will be welcomed into this fun group and will be 
assisted in accomplishing his or her desired goal. To contact 
Coach Eric LeClair or Team CrossFit Academy directly, 
please call 626-437-8739 or search for either on Facebook.

Registration

Registration for the 2012 Mount Wilson Trail Race will begin 
on Monday, March 5 at 9:00am. Registration is available 
online at www.cityofsierramadre.com/onlineregistration or 
in person at the Community Services Office located at 611 
E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024. Runners are 
encouraged to register as soon as possible as space is limited. 

The MWTR sells out on an annual basis, be sure to reserve 
your spot for 2012! For more information please visit www.
mountwilsontrailrace.com or contact the Community Services 
Office at 626.355.5278.

Ready! Set! Go! Runners from the 2011 race. (above)


Sierra Madre 

Search & Rescue Log

Sierra Madre Police Blotter

During the week of Sunday, January 1st, 2012 to Saturday, January 
7th, 2012 the Sierra Madre Police Department responded to 
approximately 295 calls for service.

Monday, January 2nd

2:11 AM – Stolen vehicle report, 00 block West Orange Grove 
Ave. The victim reported hearing the engine start on his Chevrolet 
pick-up truck. He described the truck as a white four door 
pick-up with 33” BF Goodrich tires and chrome rims. The victim 
stated the truck may have sustained new collision damage on the 
front passenger side when the suspect(s) driver struck a mailbox 
as the suspect(s) fled westbound on West Orange Grove Ave.

Tuesday, January 3rd 

3:26 PM – Arrest, Unlicensed Driver, 300 block E. Sierra Madre 
Blvd. The driver was stopped for a traffic violation. During the 
investigation a records check revealed the driver did not have 
a valid license. The driver was cited and released on a written 
promise to appear. 

Wednesday, January 4th 

3:07 AM – Arrest, Possession of Marijuana, 1100 block Arno 
Drive. While on patrol an officer conducted a vehicle check of an 
occupied parked car. Upon making contact, the Officer smelled 
the odor marijuana emitting from the interior of the car. The passengers 
were issued citations for the above violation and released 
on a written promise to appear in court. 

9:52 AM – Arrest, Unlicensed Driver, 00 block W. Sierra Madre 
Blvd. The driver was stopped for a traffic violation. During the 
investigation a records check revealed the driver did not have 
a valid license. The driver was cited and released on a written 
promise to appear. 

2:38 PM – Arrest, Suspended Driver’s License, 300 block W. Sierra 
Madre Blvd. The driver was stopped for a traffic violation. 
During the investigation a records check revealed the driver was 
driving with a suspended / revoke driver’s license. The driver was 
cited and released on a written promise to appear. 

Thursday, January 5st 

12:04 AM – Arrest, Unlicensed Driver, Sierra Madre Blvd. and 
Baldwin Ave. The driver was stopped for a traffic violation. During 
the investigation a records check revealed the driver did not 
have a valid license. The driver was cited and released on a written 
promise to appear. 

2:43 PM – Vehicle Tampering, 500 block West Sierra Madre 
Blvd. The victim reported her car was vandalized between 10:00 
pm, Wednesday, 1-04-12 and 12:00 pm, Thursday, 1-05-12. The 
rear window was smashed on her silver Honda CRV. The car was 
parked in the rear carport of her apartment complex. 

Saturday, January 7th 

1:21AM – Arrest, DUI Driver, Santa Anita Ave. and Foothill 
Blvd. An officer stopped a motorist for a vehicle code violation. 
Further investigation revealed the driver was intoxicated. The 
driver was arrested and transported to Pasadena Jail.

During the past month Sierra Madre Search and Rescue (SMSR) 
responded to three calls for assistance. 

Overdue Hikers, Mt. Wilson Trail: The Team was called out at 
night to search for an overdue party of hikers on the Mt. Wilson 
Trail. While team members prepared to head into the field additional 
information from the reporting party indicated the subjects 
planned to spend the night outdoors. The search was cancelled. 

Missing Off-Roaders, Kern County: SMSR’s assistance was requested 
in the search for two missing ATV riders in rugged conditions 
in Kern County. Half a dozen Team members responded with two 
of the team’s four-wheel-drive vehicles. The subjects were found 
deceased.

Overdue Hikers, Chantry Flat: An evening callout sent the team 
to Chantry Flat to search for overdue hikers who were out after 
dark. While the team was staging the subjects found their way to 
the trailhead safely. 

 Being a member of Sierra Madre Search and Rescue means being 
ready to respond to a call for help 24 hours a day, seven days 
a week… And even while on vacation. In separate incidents over 
the past few months, SMSR members have used their training 
and skills to help others while on “just for fun” trips outdoors. 

 Team member Karl Domangue and a friend were descending 
a canyon in Zion National Park, miles from the road, when they 
encountered a party of ten hikers unprepared for the technical 
demands of the terrain: five of them were trapped on a ledge midway 
down a 100-foot cliff. From the canyon floor, Karl ascended 
his rope to the trapped hikers and tied safety harnesses for them 
with his own spare webbing -- a technique every SMSR team 
member learns early in their training and practices frequently. 
Karl and his companion assisted the stranded hikers one by one 
down that cliff and then another further down-canyon, ensuring 
all ten made it home safely.

 Team member Taison Tran planned on a few relaxing days exploring 
the backcountry in the Kanab, Utah area, but found himself 
called upon to assist a girl who had become separated from 
her family, at night, in temperatures below freezing. Taison found 
her and helped her a mile and a half to safety.

SMSR provides a range of public programs on wilderness safety in 
addition to its search and rescue activities. The Team never charges 
for any of its services. For more information on the open house 
event, or details on arranging a wilderness safety demonstration for 
your school or group, visit www.smsr.org.


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