VOLUME 6 NO 42

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2012

RESIDENTS PLEA FOR RETURN OF HISTORIC SIGN

EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT BENEFITS 
SIERRA MADRE LIBRARY

If you’ve ever driven up 
Mountain Trail near 
Churchill, just at what 
most call the ‘entrance’ to 
the Upper Canyon, you 
probably noticed a beautiful 
sign that said, “Marlborough 
Terrace”. That 
sign, which was actually 
anchored on the corner 
of the proper of 430 N. 
Mountail Trail, is now 
missing and residents of 
the area are quite upset. 
“Just give up the sign and 
no one gets hurt”, said one 
resident, half joking.

The sign has a rich history 
in the area and in Sierra 
Madre and its “absence 
is really disturbing”, said 
Catherine Adde a longtime 
canyon resident. It 
is unclear whether the 
sign followed the fate of 
Mother Moo’s Cow that 
was ‘lifted’ from the front 
of the store recently, or 
whether in the course 
of construction activity 
near the sign it was taken 
or destroyed.

According to a story 
about the area in the Sierra 
Madre News in 1987, the sign was created by Bob McDaniels. 
Its’ purpose was to replace the original sign which announced entry 
to what Phyllis Chapman called a “special kind of Eden”.

Chapman in a 1983 article on the area, “Its 1400 foot elevation is 
(reached via) sharp curved, narrow roads that lead to homes located 
in a sylvan setting with spectacular mountain and valley views.“ 
Chapman continues, “At one time this section of Sierra Madre was 
government owned land as a result of the U.S. acquisition of California 
from Mexico in 1848. In the 1860s it was part of the 160 acres 
granted to Civil War veteran John Richardson for homesteading” 
(Sierra Madre News, August 25, 1983). 

Eventually the land was owned by Henry C. Churchill whose family carried the title of Duke of Marlborough. As reported 
by Chapman, “In 1921 Z.L. Parmalee purchased the Churchill Ranch, laid out roads, subdivided and advertised it heavily”. 
Marlborough Terrace was one of the subdivisions that resulted from the transactions. 

 

Anyone who has information on the whereabouts of the sign, please contact Sgt. Enriquez at the Sierra Madre Police 

Department or this paper at 626-355-2737.


Eagle Scout is the highest 
rank in boy scouting and 
to attain it one must earn 
at least twenty-one merit 
badges and complete a 
service project. 

When choosing his service 
project, Alex Tosh, 18, son 
of Meegan and David Tosh 
of Sierra Madre, noticed a 
need at the Sierra Madre 
Library and figured out a 
way to meet that need. Two 
rickety benches by the back 
door of the library, the “free 
bench”, were the repository 
for donated periodicals and 
surplus books from Friends 
of the Sierra Madre Library’s 
book sales. 

With little support and no 
cover, items on the benches 
frequently ended up on the 
ground or got wet before 
library patrons could go 
through them.

Alex, a senior at Pasadena 
High School and a member 
of Troop103, had his plans 
approved by the city of Sierra 
Madre to be sure that what he 
constructed would be up to 
code. Working with his dad 
and two other scouts, Alex 
built the library’s new “free 
bench”, an attractive, sturdy, 
and covered table that will 
serve the library well. 

In a letter to Alex, library 
director Carolyn Thomas 
praised his contribution and 
noted that it was a major 
improvement over what 
they’d had before. Stop by 
the library to see our latest 
addition and perhaps to find 
a treasure among the items 
on the new “free bench”.


Have you seen this sign (above) anywhere? 
Do you know what happened 
to it? Residents in the upper canyon 
would like to have it back. The area 
is barren (right) without it. Photos 
courtesy Catherine Adde

Alex Tosh (on the right) and his friend Theo Strickland (left) 
working on the bench.

VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE APPROACHES

SIERRA MADRE CITY BUDGET: Finding the Right Balance 

On Monday, October 22 at 7:00pm in the Council Chambers, the Council will host a joint meeting with 
all its Commissions to present a financial overview of the City's budget and begin the ground work for 
the City’s Fiscal Year 2013-2015 budget. This meeting is open to the public, and will be aired live on 
SMTV3 and will stream live through the City's website. The staff report is also on the website. 

 It’s not too late. It’s easy. People can now register 
to vote online. The deadline to vote in the November 
election is midnight, Oct. 22. 

 People need to re-register when they move, 
change their name or change political parties. 

 Eligible voters can register whenever and wherever 
convenient for them, thanks to the California 
Department of Motor Vehicles and the Secretary 
of State’s office. All they need is a California driver 
license or identification card number, the last four 
digits of their social security number and date of 
birth. That’s it. 

 For people who do not have a driver license or 
identification card, they can complete the online 
registration form and an online interview by midnight, 
Oct. 22. They must, however, also print, 
sign and mail the form to the address on the mailing 
label.

 To be eligible to vote a person must be a United 
States citizen, 18 years of age on or before the day 
of election, be a resident of California, not be in 
prison or on parole for conviction of a felony, not 
judicially determined to be incompetent to vote. 
People convicted of a felony are eligible to vote 
once they have served their term.

 A person does not need to know how to read or 
write in English or any other language. Assistance 
is available at the polls. No tests are given. 

 The League of Women Voters Pasadena Area believes 
voter registration too frequently presents a 
barrier to eligible voters. Online voter registration 
will increase the number of registered voters and 
facilitate updates of voter registration for people 
who have moved or changed their name or political 
party by allowing them to do the process 
online. 

 Online registration will help prevent errors in 
transcribing handwritten information on registration 
affidavits and will speed up recording of 
late registrations and cut down on errors. Voters 
will be better served AND millions of dollars will 
be saved.

 The League encourages all people who are eligible 
to vote to register and to cast an informed 
vote in all elections. We believe in the power of 
the vote, and that government should make voter 
registration and preregistration easy while assuring 
that the basic requirements of citizenship, age, 
and residency are met. 


DON’T CHECK THAT BOX....YET

Take a moment to hear the objective truth about our State & Local Ballot 
Propositions!

On Tuesday, October 23, 2012 at 12:00 noon, the Sierra Madre Kiwanis Club in conunction 
with the Pasadena League of Women Voters will sponsor a panel of speakers that will give 
both the Pros and Cons on the eleven statewide and four local ballot propositions.

 This will be an educational forum where the speakers will not take a position, but rather 
given the public an objective, informed review of the measures you are asked to vote on.

 The forum will be held at The Lodge (Formerly the Masonic Temple), 33 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre. 
The forum is free. Lunch will be served at noon for a cost of $10. For lunch reservations call 626-355-0728.


This Week’s Highlights: 

Planet Found In Nearest Star System To Earth........Page 5

Calendar Page 2

Sierra Madre News Page 3

Pasadena/Altadena Page 4

Around San Gabriel Valley Page 5

Arcadia Page 6

Monrovia/Duarte Page 7

Education and Youth Page 8

Good Food & Drink Page 10

Best Friends Page 11

Arts/Health Page 12

Homes & Property Page 13 

The Good Life Page 14

Business Today Page 15

Sports Page 16

Ballot Box - Election 2012 Page 17

Opinion /Left Turn-Right Turn Pages 18-19

SIERRA MADRE NEWS

AROUND SG Valley

3

5

A Closer Look at Endeavor

ARCADIA NEWS

6

PASADENA/ALTADENA

4

MONROVIA/DUARTE

7

Fire at City’s Power Plant


Read The Paper Online At: www.mtnviewsnews.com