SIERRA MADRE MOURNS THE LOSS OF ‘MAMA PETE’......Pg. B1


SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

Inside this week: 

VOLUME 7 NO. 24

SIERRA MADRE MIDDLE SCHOOL 

CONSTRUCTION BID APPROVED - FINALLY

Photos and Story By Susan Henderson

HOT WATER

SIERRA MADRE

Residents Express 

Dissatisfaction Over 

Mandatory Water 

Conservation Measures

Calendar Page 2

Sierra Madre News Page 3

 After years of bureaucratic 
delays, the Pasadena 
Unified School 
District removed what 
is hoped to be the last 
hurdle in the construction 
of the Sierra Madre 
Middle School on Tuesday 
evening.

 At their regularly 
scheduled meeting, the 
Board, greeted by hundreds 
of parents, children 
and supporters of 
the project, voted 5-1 to 
accept the lowest construction 
bid.

 With a packed board 
room and hallway, 
speaker after speaker, 
including students and 
faculty from Field Elementary 
reminded the 
board of the need to 
rebuild the school that 
had been torn down - to 
approve the project and 
move on.

 From Sierra Madre, 
parent Gretchen Vance 
and at least a dozen 
middle school children admonished 
the board to “Build Our School”. 
When Mrs. Vance reminded the board 
that currently the school did not even 
have a library or computer lab, the surprise 
was clearly visible on board member 
Hampton’s face. Sierra Madre City 
Council member Chris Koerber, the 
city’s liaison to PUSD, was unable to attend 
as a SM city council meeting was 
going on at the same time. His wife, 
Halcyon Koerber, spoke in his stead 
and reminded the Board of the previous 
resolution that was passed to build 
the school.

 Lisabet Nepf, Jeff Plaut also spoke and 
Bart Doyle was the final speaker.

 When the vote was called for, the 
only dissenting vote was cast by Board 
Member Kim Kenne whose comments 
some parents found “grossly inaccurate”, 
offending and short sighted. Ms. 
Kenne expressed, among other things, 
a concern that re-building the school 
would take away from the enrollment 
of Wilson Middle School and thus 
should not be done. She also indicated 
that the enrollment of Sierra Madre 
Middle School was 
around 200 students 
and therefore did not 
warrant the building 
of the school. 

 Recently appointed 
Board Member Mikala Rahn, a Sierra 
Madre resident quickly corrected the 
misstatements even referencing basis 
for the 2002-2003 school year decision 
to open the school. Rahn passionately 
asked the board to approve the bid 
unanimously.

 Prior to the meeting, there had been 
a great deal of anxiety as the sub-committee, 
consisting of Board Member 
Tom Selinski and Board Vice President 
Tyron Hampton, Jr. could not agree on 
a recommendation to move forward. 
Selinski was in favor of accepting the 
bid, Hampton declined to do so. In a 
telephone interview with the Mountain 
Views News last week, he cited 
concerns of the bid being $3.5 million 
dollar over budget and the impact that 
completing the school would have on 
other Measure TT projects.

 However, after more than 1500 emails, 
dozens of telephone calls and further 
investigation into the background 
and finances of the project, Hampton, 
who presided over the meeting in the 
absence of Board President Renatta 
Cooper, agreed that it was in the best 
interest of all, and as fiscally sound as 
possible, to approve the lowest bid and 
move forward.

 The low bid was submitted by Sinanian 
Development of Tarzana at 
$27,888,000, slightly above the $27 
million budgeted for the project. Sinanian 
has an established history in 
building educational facilities according 
to their website.

 The PUSD Chief Financial Officer, 
John Pappalardo indicated that there 
was a $3.5 million dollar contingency 
fund in the Measure TT monies that 
would cover the additional costs. 

 The unconfirmed date of the ground 
breaking for the school is July 8, 2013.


PASADENA/ALTADENA

Pg. 4

110 Freeway Closures

 While Sierra Madreans filled the 
chambers of the Board of Education 
on Tuesday night, there was another 
group of upset residents at City 
Council meeting. At the latter, the 
anger was over the mandatory water 
conservation that has been imposed 
by the city.

 The concerns were mostly centered 
around the fact that during the summer 
months, many residents feel it is 
necessary to use more water to keep 
their landscaping from becoming a 
fire hazard, especially in the hillsides.

 One resident sent an email to city 
officials indicating that her fire insurance 
carrier had mandated how she 
maintain the landscaping in her hillside 
home.

 The anger over the conservation 
peaked as residents recieved their official 
‘quota notice’ from the city. In 
it, the city asked that water consumption 
be reduced 10-20% based upon 
last years use. The penalties for the 
first two offenses are monetary, however 
the third offense could result 
in a ‘regulator’ being placed on the 
property.

 However, despite numerous reports 
that show the declining water 
resources in the city, and despite the 
fact that rainfall has been exceptionally 
low in the past 12 months, the 
uproar over the conservation efforts 
dominated a good portion of the 
council meeting.

 In an effort to educate the public 
further on the council’s decision and 
review in more detail residents’ concerns, 
Councilman John Capoccia 
agreed to a special council meeting 
just to discuss the matter further.

(See notice and related story below)

AROUND SGV Pg. 5

 Remembering Fallen Peace Officers

Nyerges: Remembering My Father

Superior Court Budget Cuts

ARCADIA NEWS Pg. 6 

Home Invasion Robbery

MONROVIA/DUARTE 

Carrying the Special 

Olympics Torch Pg. 7


EDUCATION & YOUTH

 Pg. 8

A Fine Artist & Teacher

Above, PUSD Board, left to right,

Board Member Kim Kenne, 
PUSD Superintendent Jon Gundry, 
Board Vice President Tyron 
Hampton, Jr., Board Members 
Tom Selinski, Elizabeth Pomeroy 
and Mikala Rahn. Right, students 
surround Halcyon Koerber 
(in the background) as she addresses 
the Board.

BEST FRIENDS Pg. 9

Why Does Fido Wipe His Feet?

FOOD & DRINK

Pg. 10

A Father’s Day Tribute

THE WORLD AROUND US

Pg. 10

LOOKING UP -

THE GOOD LIFE Pg. 11

Savvy Senior

Senior Happenings

SPORTS Pg. 12

SECTION B

 Remembering Marjorie Peterson

SIERRA MADRE 
SPECIAL COUNCIL 
MEETING RE: 

MANDATORY WATER 
CONSERVATION

The Sierra Madre City Council has 
scheduled a Special Council meeting 
to discuss the implementation of Mandatory 
Water Conservation Measures. 
The meeting will be held on Tuesday, 
June 18th at 6:00 pm in the City Hall 
Council Chambers at 232 W. Sierra 
Madre Boulevard. The meeting is open 
to the public and the Council encourages 
interested individuals to attend 
the meeting.

 On May 28th, mandatory water conservation 
measures were implemented 
due to the declining supply of water 
in the underground aquifer that supplies 
90 to 95% of Sierra Madre’s water. 
There are a number of reasons for the 
decline in the aquifer, including lower 
than normal rainfall, restrictions to the 
City’s adjudicated right to pump water, 
lower than normal spreading of water 
at the City’s spreading basins, and increased 
consumption by the City’s water 
customers.

 While water conservation is always 
important, the low level of available 
groundwater resulted in the implementation 
of additional water conservation 
measures. The Sierra Madre Municipal 
Code provides for the implementation 
of mandatory water conservation 
regulations in times of water-related 
emergencies. The water conservation 
measures require each water customer 
to conserve a percentage of their water 
use. The City understands that it can 
be difficult to achieve the designated 
water conservation targets, so in response 
to comments received about 
the City’s conservation program, a special 
Council meeting was scheduled. 
The Mandatory Water measures will 
be the main topic of discussion.

For a copy of the agenda for the June 18th 
meeting, or for additional information 
about water conservation, please visit the 
City’s website at www.cityofsierramadre.
com or at www.cityofsierramadre.com/
water-conservation.

BUSINESS Pg. B2

HEALTHY LIVING 

Pg. B3

ARTS / ENTERTAINMENT 

 Pg. B4

LEFT/RIGHT Pg. B5

OPINION Pg. B5

A LETTER TO ALL CUSTOMERS REGARDING 
MANDATORY WATER CONSERVATION:


LEGAL NOTICES 

 B6-B9

How did we end up 
in in this situation?

90 to 95% of Sierra Madre’s water supply 
comes from underground aquifers 
(East Raymond Basin). Through the 
summer and fall of 2012 public works 
staff observed the water level depths receding 
at each of the City’s four wells.

 Normally, rainfall throughout the winter 
months reduces customers’ irrigation 
water use and provides water to 
recharge the aquifer. Aquifer water levels 
therefore tend to increase during the 
winter and spring months. This rainy 
season only brought 9.72 inches of rainfall, 
as compared to the City’s average 
rainfall of 19.64 inches. This minimal 
rainfall, combined with Los Angeles 
County Public Works diverting water 
from Santa Anita Dam to locations outside 
of Sierra Madre, resulted in limited 
water for groundwater recharge at the 
City’s spreading basins.

 While rainfall is down, and recharge of 
the aquifer is down, overall water consumption 
is up from last year. Although 
the City does not read water meters 
each day, consumption can be gauged 
by how much water is pumped to be 
utilized the following day. 

 During the period April 24 - 30th, the 
Water Department produced 2,560,000 
gallons of water a day resulting in a 2 
foot drop in water level within local 
wells. The same period last year showed 
a production of 1,500,000 gallons a day. 
During the month of April 2013, the department 
produced a total of 70,000,000 
gallons versus production of 46,000,000 
gallons in April 2012. Water levels at Sierra 
Madre’s wells dropped over 30 feet 
during this 12 month period.

 Lastly, the City’s ability to pump water 
from the East Raymond basin has been 
reduced by the East Raymond Management 
Board, in an effort to help the 
aquifer recover.

 The drastically low level of available 
groundwater resulted in mandatory 
water conservation. The City’s Municipal 
Code provides for the implementation 
of mandatory water conservation 
regulations in times of water-related 
emergencies. A City Council resolution 
was adopted on May 28, 2013.

 It is unknown how long the mandatory 
conservation measures will remain 
in place. It may take consecutive years 
of significant rainfall to get our groundwater 
levels back to a stable level. However, 
one thing is certain, a lot depends 
upon the amount of water we all use.

 What happens if we cannot pump all 
the water we need?

Due to the limited and decreasing water 
levels in the East Raymond Basin, 
and the limitation of Sierra Madre’s adjudicated 
extraction right, it will likely 
become necessary to import water from 
other agencies.

One option would be to access the City’s 
imported San Gabriel Valley Municipal 
Water District water in the San Gabriel 
Main Groundwater Basin via the City 
of Arcadia. (continued on pg. 3)


FYI Pg. B10


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