Mountain Views News          Saturday, July 13, 2013

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, July 13, 2013 

REMEMBRANCE

THE SPERO FOUNDATION SUPPORTS SIERRA MADRE’S SUMMER 
CONCERT IN THE PARK SERIES

Join The Spero Foundation on Sunday, July 14th at Memorial Park Bandshell in Sierra Madre as they 
sponsor the “Decades of Rock.” This amazing, local band will begin performing at 6 pm and take the 
audience on a 2 hour tour of over a decade of great rock ‘n’ roll music. Bring your lawn chair or blanket 
along with your appetite and enjoy delicious beef, chicken & pork tacos and burritos prepared onsite by 
Juan’s Taco Catering. Both food & drinks will be sold starting at 5:30 pm – so come early!

The Spero Foundation (a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization) represents the volunteer spirit of our 
community, and is a vehicle for those in need. The Spero Foundation’s capabilities include Fund Raising 
(single source events for specified recipients); Guidance (for the family or organization in need- such as 
resource material and outsourcing services); and Consulting (assistance to organizations and groups for 
their fund raising efforts).

The profits from this evening in the park will help fund our Family Food Baskets; a tradition of Spero’s 
which provides both Thanksgiving & Christmas dinners to needy families in the area.

For more information about The Spero Foundation contact us at PO Box 1295, Sierra Madre, CA 91025 
or (626) 355-HOPE.

MARY ELLEN McCOY

Mary Ellen McCoy, born January 25, 1925 in 
Oak Park, Illinois, passed away at home surrounded 
by her family on July 3, 2013. 

After earning her Bachelor’s Degree in English 
Literature from Western College in Ohio, she 
married Jim McCoy in 1948, moved to California, 
and raised four children, Craig, Lise, 
Jamie, and Matthew. A longtime resident of 
Sierra Madre, Mel enjoyed the small town atmosphere 
that fostered friendships of all kinds. 
She was an avid reader, actively supporting the 
Sierra Madre Library. As a volunteer at their 
used book sales, she usually brought home 
more books than she sold. She loved all kinds 
of writing from the classics to British mysteries. 
Always a fan of the stage, she was cast in several 
plays in the “theater in the round” in Hollywood 
which fed her passion for acting and 
led her to become a founding member of Sierra 
Madre’s Studio Players.

Fascinated by politics, Mel followed Senate 
hearings and political commentaries from 
Washington’s pundits. She claimed that the 
greatest day of her life was the day Barack 
Obama was elected. She had no patience for those who did not see voting as a sacred right. The recent 
Supreme Court decision to rescind parts of the 1964 Civil Rights Act brought her to tears. She 
thoroughly believed in equality for everyone in all areas including voting, marriage, race, religion, 
and sexual orientation. 

At the age of 56, she returned to college and earned her master’s degree in marriage and family 
counseling. This became her career path for the remainder of her life. Years later, for the sheer love of 
learning, she attended a summer school course in philosophy at the University of Oxford in England. 

Mel loved to travel and to see and meet new people in many places. She was thrilled to visit Tahiti, 
Australia, New Zealand and Turkey. The beauty of the world, whether man-made or natural, always 
inspired her. 

Mel had a large circle of friends whom she treated with love and honesty without judgment or bias. 
For many she was a role model and a true mentor. She used her own experiences along with her studies 
to reach out and help many find their path to a more positive life. Above all she made them laugh.

Mel is survived by her daughters Lise and Jamie, and her son Matt. She leaves four grandchildren and 
one great-granddaughter.


SIERRA MADRE POLICE BLOTTER

For the Period July 1-7, 2013

Wednesday July 3, 2013

At 2pm, a resident in the 300 block of Adams Avenue returned home and observed that her front door 
was open. She immediately notified police. The investigation revealed that between the hours of 11am 
and 2pm, an unknown suspect entered the residence by smashing a rear french door window. The 
suspect(s) went through several rooms and thoroughly ransacked one of the bedrooms. The victim 
was able to determine that jewelry, watches an IPad and an IPod were removed from the residence. 

Thursday July 4, 2013

Overnight, an unknown suspect removed a guitar and amplifier from a vehicle parked in a driveway 
in the 300 block of Sierra Madre Boulevard. The owner of the vehicle believed he had locked the 
vehicle, but there was no evidence of forced entry. 

At 10pm, a major traffic collision took place at Santa Anita Avenue and Oakwood Avenue. A red Jeep 
travelling south in the northbound lanes of Santa Anita Avenue collided with a vehicle turning left 
onto Oakwood from southbound Santa Anita Avenue. The impact caused the Jeep to flip over on 
its side and slide several yards further south on Santa Anita Avenue. When emergency units arrived 
the driver of the Jeep was unconscious and trapped inside. Emergency crews required 45 minutes to 
extract him from the vehicle. He was transported to Huntington Memorial Hospital for treatment. 
Two occupants of the other vehicle were seriously injured but a passenger in the rear seat survived 
without injury. Shortly before the collision, a witness observed the Jeep travelling north on Santa 
Anita Avenue at a high rate of speed and passing vehicles on the right. The investigation is continuing. 

Friday July 5, 2013

A resident in the 00 block of Auburn Avenue returned home from vacation and found damage to the 
rear door of the house. There was evidence that an intruder had entered the residence by prying the 
door with a tool, but the victim did not detect that any property was removed. The observations of a 
witness indicate that crime may have occurred during the evening of June 26, 2013. 

Saturday July 6, 2013

At 6:45pm, an altercation took place inside the Mountain View Sushi Restaurant at 24 West Sierra 
Madre Boulevard. A dispute between a patron and an employee took place which escalated into a 
physical fight. The parties sustained minor injuries and a window was broken during the short fight. 
Both parties requested a private person’s arrest against the other and they were processed on the 
charge of Battery. 


NEW CITY HALL PUBLIC HOURS BEGAN JULY 1ST

Beginning July 1, 2013 the offices at City Hall and the Community Recreation centers will be open 
Monday - Thursday 11:00am - 5:30pm.

 The Council implemented the new open hours at City Hall and Community Recreation offices 
to offset for the reduced staffing levels implemented over the last five years. The adopted FY 
2013-2015 budget also includes additional consolidated job responsibilities as well as technology 
enhancements to continue to improve work efficiencies and effectiveness, in order to serve Sierra 
Madre citizens. 

PLANNING COMMISSION VACANCIES 

Application deadline is July 25, 2013

The commission meets the 1st and 3rd Thursday at 7:00 p.m., in the City Hall Council Chamber

Staff Liaison: Danny Castro / City Council Liaison: Council Member Chris Koerber

Number of Vacancies: Two Terms available starting July 1, 2013

Current Planning Commission Applicants:

Buckles, DeMarzo, Diedrich, Frierman-Hunt, Stafford