Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 2, 2012

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Mountain Views-News Saturday June 2, 2012 


This Tueday, June 5th, California’s 
will participate for the first 
time in an Open Primary/Voter 
Nominated Offices election. 
What does that mean, well, according 
to our Secretary of State, “On June 8, 2010, California voters 
approved Proposition 14, which created a “top two” or “open primary” 
election system. Except for the office of U.S. President and county central 
committee offices, offices that used to be known as “partisan offices” (e.g., 
state constitutional offices, U.S. Congress, and state legislative offices) are 
now known as “voter-nominated” offices. What used to be known as a 
“political party affiliation” is now known as a “political party preference.” 

 Prior to the Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act, all candidates running 
in a primary election, with the same political party affiliation, were 
placed on a partisan ballot to be voted on by voters of the same political party. The top vote-getter from 
each qualified political party would move on to the general election. At the general election, candidates 
could gain access to the ballot using the independent nomination process and other could run as write-
in candidates. Under the Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act, all candidates running in a primary 
election, regardless of their party preference, will appear on a single primary election ballot and voters 
can vote for any candidate. The top two overall vote-getters – not the top vote-getter from each qualified 
political party – will move on to the general election.” 

 So the votes you cast should, theoretically, yield the two most qualified, electable candidates to go 
on the November Ballot. Theoretically. 

 Further, this new method of voting comes at a time when all of our voting Districts have been 
changed - renumbered and realigned. We will be electing all new representatives to Congress, the 
State Senate and the State Assembly. That is also another reason why we need to take this primary 
very seriously.

 Now, despite what you may have heard in our last municipal election WE DID NOT HAVE A 60% 
TURNOUT. In a response to a request from this paper on May 16, 2012, our City Clerk Nancy Shollenberger 
confirmed that the final tally for our April election was only 38% - and that is shameful!

 Regardless of what your political persuasion, we can’t change anything if we don’t participate in 
the only process that is available to us. And every election is important. What happens on Tuesday 
will determine who our final choices will be in November. That’s the bottom line. So please, vote on 
Tuesday and let your preferences be known. 

 Having said that, here are the choices and our preferences for this area on Tuesday. (Excluding the 
Presidential Race - but in case you were wondering, our Candidate is President Barack Obama.)

For U.S. Senate, we have a total of 23 candidates challenging incumbent Senator Dianne Feinstein. 
(The Mountain Views News choice).

For the newly created Congressional District 27 our choices are:

 Jack Orswell Party Preference Republican

 Judy Chu Party Preference Democrat (Currently in Congress)

 Bob Duran Party Preference Republican Tea Party Endorsed

The Mountain Views News preference in this race is Jack Orswell.

For California State Senate 25th District:

 Carol Liu Party Preference Democrat (Currently in Congress)

 Gilbert V. Gonzales Party Preference Republican

 Ameenah Fuller Party Preference Democrat

The Mountain Views News preference in this race is Ameenah Fuller.

For California State Assembly 41st:

 Chris Holden Party Preference Democrat Pasadena City Councilman

 Donna Lowe Party Preference Republican Tea Party Endorsed

 Victoria Rusnak Party Preference Democrat 

 Ed Colton Party Preference Republican

 Michael A. Cacciotti Party Preference Democrat Mayor, South Pasadena

 

The Mountain Views News preference in this race is Chris Holden. Michael Cacciotti is also a good 
choice in our opinion.

 Recently, the Sierra Madre Kiwanis Club held a public forum for the candidates for Congress, Assembly 
and Senate. If you would like to hear what the candidates had to say, go to: http://www.
youtube.com/mountainviewsnews. 

Other Mountain Views News recommendations:

 Los Angeles County District Attorney: Jackie Lacey

 Supervisor 5th District: Michael Antonovich

 State Measure 28 Term Limits: NO

 State Measure 29 Tax on Tobacco YES

 LA County Hotel Occupancy Tax YES

 LA County Landfill Tax YES

 Pasadena Unified Measure A YES 

I encourage all of you to turn off your televisions and telephones and do a little research on all the 
people and measures on the ballot. Then use your own good judgment to make a decision.

But most importantly, I encourage you to VOTE.....as if your future depended on it!


GARDEN FROM THE HEART Story and Photos by Lina Johnson

As if your future 

depends on it!

 On Saturday, May 
26, 2012 Sierra Madre 
School Girl Scout Troop 
11711 shared with me 
the community service 
project they had chosen 
to earn their bronze 
award. The location 
was a nursing care and 
rehabilitation facility for 
senior citizens located 
at 4800 Delta Avenue in 
the city of Rosemead. 
The center named, “The 
Mission Care Center” 
was familiar to one of 
the scouts, Maddie Rahn 
because her grandfather 
Leroy Rahn at one 
time resided there. The 
project, a hand built and 
painted garden box with dimensions of 9ft by 2ft 
was to be placed on a patio just outside of the 
room that Leroy Rahn had stayed in but has since 
moved from.

 My arrival at the nursing home was about 10:30.
There wasn’t a sign of the Girl Scout troop. The 
project was unfamiliar to the nursing home 
administrator. Just as I was about to leave, I 
spotted a few scouts with some parents unloading 
bags of soil from a truck. After re-parking my 
car, I dashed over to follow them as they began 
working on their service project. The troop 
was very excited and happy to be at the facility. 
They hauled a large amount of soil and various 
other supplies through the buildings and to the 
designated patio spot.

 Not all of the scouts had arrived at the same time. 
As they waited for the others to appear and for 
the delivery of the wooden garden box, I inquired 
about their undertaking. They told me that there 
were many suggested service projects. This one 
was chosen through a voting process. Some of the 
girls experienced a bit of disappointment when 
their particular project was not chosen. Once the 
vote was over,they were all excited to begin this 
project. They knew it was a good one. 

 I felt the troops’ excitement about the work 
they were doing and the work that was already 
completed. They explained to me the method 
in which they had stained the wood for the box 
and the benefit of using stain on the wood over 
paint; that stain allows the wood grain to be seen 
through the finish. The thoughtfulness that took 
place as the girl’s fulfilled their community service 
project was a joy to hear about and a pleasure to 
be a part of.

 As the rest of the troop arrived I was introduced 
to each of them and I could see that the girls were 
united in this project and it’s completion. When 
the box arrived, a few of the fathers assembled it. 
The scouts observed eagerly. Once the box was 
completed the parents moved out of way .The 
girl’s vigorously opened the soil bags with a trowel 
and poured it exuberantly into their beloved 
“garden box”. Soil flew into the box and all around 
it. This included the ground, my eyes and some 
of the scout’s hair. The girls were stabbing the 
bags vigorously. There were so many bags of soil 
needed to fill the box. I was skeptical that so many 
were necessary. The assistant troop leader, Blue 
Sandefur informed me that they had done their 
research. To ensure that an accurate amount of soil 
and plants were going in the box they read a book 
called “Square Foot Gardening” by Mel 
Bartholomew. This book served as a reference 
guide. 

 It was so much fun to be a witness to Troop 
11711’s community service project for their 
bronze award because I could see that they were 
doing this project from their hearts. As they were 
stabbing the bags open they expressed how it was a 
good way for them to take out their anger. I stated 
that they must have a lot of anger and Sophie 
Sandefur expressed that “the 5th grade was very 
cut throat”. The honesty of these girls and their 
ability to express their emotions and thoughts 
made me smile. Maddie Rahn and all of the other 
scouts agreed that the project would benefit the 
senior citizens by “helping to build a sense of 
community and giving them something to do and 
look forward to, an activity to participate in”.

 It was wonderful to see the troops excitement 
and energy for wanting to make a difference in 
the lives of other people. It was hopeful to see that 
they recognized that seniors want to feel cared for 
by the young and that the young people are strong 
and can make a difference if they follow what is 
in their hearts. Thank you Sierra Madre School 
Girl Scout Troop 11711 for sharing and following 
your hearts! 


Susan Henderson,

Publisher/Editor


ASCENSION CHURCH EVENSONG

Sierra Madre’s Village Church – Ascension - invites the community to a Choral Evensong on Sunday, 
June 10 at 5:00 p.m. Evensong or Evening Prayer is a traditional service in use in the Episcopal Church 
which is celebrated in the late afternoon or evening. It is commonly known as Evensong when most of 
the service is sung. Many of our finest church composers have written music for this specific service.

For the June Choral Evensong, Dr. Debora Huffman, Ascension’s Director of Music and Organist, has 
chosen selections written by a variety of composers including The service will be sung by the amazing 
Ascension Church Choir, directed by Dr. Debora Huffman. Music to include:

• Come Down, O Love Divine (William H. Harris)
• Preces and Responses (Craig Phillips)
• Phos Hilaron (Robert Lehmann)
• Magnificant/Nunc in C Major (Sir Charles Villiers Stanford)
• Like As the Hart (Herbert Howells)
• Keep Watch, O Lord (Craig Phillips)


Come, share with us the beauty of this traditional service. 

The Church of the Ascension is located at 25 East Laurel Avenue in Sierra Madre. For more information, 
please call (626) 355-1133 or visit: www.ascension-sierramadre.com. 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Regarding Fresh & Easy:

Dear Editor:

Upon hearing about Fresh & Easy’s desire to open a store in our little town my first reaction 
was, Oh no, there goes the neighborhood! However upon giving it more thought and going 
beyond fear, the idea of a smaller town size Fresh & Easy is a wonderful idea. To have this 
great market with its many discount prices(which only a chain can have), its abundance of 
wonderful fresh healthy food choices within walking distance or a short drive is a marvelous 
thing. If kept to a reasonable 

size befitting our town I say yes yes! So I ask our City Gov’t, let’s work with them to fit 
within our small town location so we can all share and benefit in this convenient healthy 
one stop market.!!!! J.Allen, Sierra Madre


SM PLAYHOUSE RECEIVES GRANT FROM T OF R FOUNDATION

 Pasadena Tournament of Roses®Foundation President Jacqueline Howard distributed grant 
checks totaling $100,000 to 27 civic, educational and cultural organizations in the San Gabriel 
Valley at the Tournament of Roses Foundation Grant Award Reception held May 23 at 
Tournament House. 

Seven of the 27 organizations funded are first-time grant recipients. These organizations are 
A Noise Within, A Step Ahead, College Access Plan, Mentoring & Partnership for Youth 
Development, Monrovia Association of Fine Arts, Neighborhood Urban Family Center and 
Sierra Madre Playhouse.

Established in 1983, the Tournament of Roses Foundation is a non-profit corporation that 
manages charitable contributions on behalf of the Tournament of Roses. The Foundation 
assists charities in the Pasadena area by funding sports and recreation, visual and performing 
arts, and volunteer motivation and leadership development. These grants, ranging from 
$1,400 to $10,000 will help support new and ongoing programs benefiting children, teens, 
adults and seniors.

The Playhouse grant relates to American Sign Language Translators.