Mountain Views News          Saturday, May 11, 2013

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, May 11, 2013 


Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Log

HIGH TEA AT SIERRA MADRE’S VILLAGE 
CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION

The Village Church of the Ascension will be hosting a fundraiser and Silent Auction to raise money 
for the Church with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the Women’s Room for Friends in 
Deed - Ecumenical Council Pasadena Area Congregations (ECPAC). 

When: Saturday, May 25, 2013

Time: 2:00 pm

Where: The Church of the Ascension - Hawks Hall

25 East Laurel Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA

Cost: $35.00 for Adults

$17.50 for 11 years and under

Afternoon High Tea is open to the all, please come and enjoy a full High Tea for adults and children. 
Bring your mom, sister, or friends and catch up over a steaming hot pot and delicious treats. Tickets 
are available at the Church office during regular business hours, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, Monday, Tuesday, 
Thursday and Friday’s (closed on Wednesdays). Tickets are also available at the Bottle Shop located at 
58 West Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre and at Savor the Flavor, located at 11 Kersting Court, Sierra 
Madre. Tickets sales will be limited, and must be purchased in advanced (no ticket sales at the door).

Come for a wonderful afternoon. For more information, please call the church office at (626) 355-1133 
or visit: www.ascension-sierramadre.com. 

As our local weather begins to improve, we are seeing an increase in search and rescue activity. The 
Sierra Madre Search and Rescue (SMSR) Team responded to eleven individual calls for assistance in 
April including a multi-day search in Orange County. 

Missing Hikers, Trabuco Canyon, Orange County: The Team was requested on April 2nd to 
support a multi-agency request by the Orange County Sheriff to assist in the search for two missing 
teenage hikers in the Trabuco Canyon area. SMSR joined other Los Angeles County search and 
rescue teams on the second day of what would become a high profile 4 day search. SMSR personnel 
were deployed on a number of search assignments in very difficult terrain. Thick, 6-10 foot high 
brush and steep terrain made for difficult search conditions. Several assignments involved Team 
members being inserted via hoist from rescue helicopters. Additional personnel filled key roles in the 
Incident Command Post (ICP). The first missing hiker was successfully located late on April 3rd and 
was airlifted to a local hospital. The second hiker was located on a cliff on April 4th and was rescued 
via hoist by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Air-5 rescue helicopter. She was transported to the UCI 
Medical Center for treatment. The operation was secured at 4:15 p.m. on the 4th, almost 60 hours 
after SMSR personnel had joined the search. 

Injured Hikers, Multiple Locations, Chantry Flat: At 12:30 p.m. on April 21st, SMSR, the Sierra 
Madre Fire Department and Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to reports of an injured 
hiker at Hermit Falls below Chantry Flat. Team members and fire department paramedics made 
their way to the incident location while LACoFD ‘copter 19 set-up for a hoist rescue. While enroute 
to Hermit Falls, Team personnel made contact with other hikers who indicated that there was 
another injured hiker located near Cabin 16 approximately 1 mile below Chantry Flat. The incident 
command staff coordinating the response from the Chantry parking lot reconfigured the response 
to account for this second incident. Personnel made their way to the second subject while ‘copter 19 
performed a hoist rescue of the hiker at Hermit Falls. She was transported to the helispot (a natural 
or improved takeoff and landing area intended for temporary or occasional helicopter use) above 
the Chantry parking area where she was transferred to an ambulance and transported to Arcadia 
Methodist Hospital. While the first hiker was being transported, field crews worked to stabilize the 
second hiker. The thick canopy of trees limited the ability of rescuers to use the helicopter to evacuate 
the hiker. Ground crews transported him approximately ½ mile to a point where ‘copter 19 was able 
to perform a hoist extraction. Due to the severity of the subject’s injuries, he was transported to LA 
County-USC Hospital. While not requiring transport to a hospital, a family member of the Hermit 
Falls hiker required assistance back to Chantry Flat due to an ankle injury. As has been noted in 
previous search and rescue activity reports, it is not unusual for additional information to come to 
light that forces a change in response to an emergency. The ability to effectively manage a dynamic 
situation is crucial to a successful outcome. The call was secured at 3 p.m. 

____________________

For over 60 years the all-volunteer Sierra Madre Search and Rescue team has been responding to calls 
for help in the local mountains and beyond. Funded entirely by private donations, 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, including how to arrange a wilderness safety demonstration for your school 
or group, visit www.smsr.org.

SENIOR HEALTH SEMINAR - STRESS MANAGEMENT 
AND DRUG INTERACTIONS

The Hart Park House Senior Center presents a two part health seminar on Monday, May 13, 2013 
from 1:00-3:00 pm at the Hart Park House Senior Center, 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. A presentation 
on stress management hosted by the YWCA San Gabriel Valley will occur from 1:00-2:00pm. The 
YWCA San Gabriel Valley is seeking to increase the knowledge of older adults on stress as well as 
the point of entry of available mental health services. This presentation will provide an increased 
knowledge of stress, its impact, and techniques to manage stressors in one’s life. This presentation is 
also beneficial for care givers of older adults.

From 2:00-3:00pm Walgreens Pharmacy will provide a presentation on managing drug interactions. 
This presentation is a must for those that take several different medicines (prescription or over 
the counter), see more than one doctor, or have certain health conditions. Understanding how 
medications interact will help prevent negative drug interactions. Individuals are encouraged to 
bring their prescriptions for clarification.

For more information on either of the Senior Health Seminars please contact the Hart Park House 
Senior Center at 626.355.7394.

COMMUNITY YARD SALE IN 

SIERRA MADRE

 The City of Sierra Madre Senior Community Commission is hosting the 3rd Annual Community 
Yard Sale on Saturday, June 8, 2013 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. located in the Sierra Vista Park 
Parking Lot (611 E. Sierra Madre Blvd). Community organizations and members are invited to come 
together with their neighbors to participate in a community yard sale. Participants have the opportunity 
to clean out their garages, attics, storage sheds and closets without sending those items to 
landfill.

 The fee for a selling space is $25.00 and a yard sale permit does not need to be purchased; proceeds 
will benefit senior programs and activities. Alternatively, you may donate items to the Senior Community 
Commission booth to be sold on the Commission’s behalf. If you would like to participate in 
the Community Yard Sale, please register online at www.cityofsierramadre.com/onlineregistration 
or in person at the Community Services Office, 611 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Deadline to register is 
Thursday, May 30 or until spaces are filled.

 Participants must provide their own tables, chairs, canopies (10’x10’ maximum) and cash boxes if 
needed. No electricity will be provided. Live animals, large canopies, and selling of food or drinks 
are prohibited. All business must be conducted within your space. Event may be cancelled due to 
inclement weather. 

 A limited number of spaces are available. For more information please call the Community Services 
Office at (626) 355-5278.

Sierra Madre Police Blotter

For the period of April 29-May 5, 2013

Tuesday April 30, 2013

A traffic collision occurred at 3:30pm on Baldwin Avenue north of Montecito Avenue. A vehicle 
pulling away from the curb collided with another vehicle travelling north on Baldwin Avenue. No 
injuries were reported and only minor vehicle damage was sustained. 

Thursday May 2, 2013

At 1am, a vehicle travelling south on Hermosa Avenue approaching Sierra Madre Boulevard ran off 
the roadway and collided with a tree. When police arrived, the driver was conscious but incoherent. 
The investigation revealed that the driver had taken new prescription medication and may have 
caused an adverse effect. The driver was transported to Huntington Memorial Hospital for treatment. 
The vehicle sustained major damage. 

Between 1am and noon, unknown suspects entered a residence in the 100 block of East Alegria 
Avenue through an unlocked sliding glass door on the side of the structure. The suspect (s) took a 
laptop computer and other small electronic devices then exited via the same door. The investigation 
revealed the suspect (s) may have made entry attempts at three other window locations as screens 
had been removed and dirt on the window sills disturbed. A neighbor reported a work crew in the 
area that morning and the investigation is pursuing that lead. 

Sunday May 5, 2013

At 10am, the security operations center that monitors the ATM for Bank of the West contacted the 
Department. The operator had been monitoring activity at the branch located at 100 west Sierra 
Madre Boulevard and became suspicious that a “skimmer” had been installed on the ATM at that 
location. When officers arrived, the described suspects were no longer in the area. A technician 
arrived, examined the ATM and found a skimming device. That ATM was immediately taken 
off-line. The skimmer was booked as evidence by the Department and video surveillance will be 
examined.