SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2014 
VOLUME 8 NO. 6 
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2014 
VOLUME 8 NO. 6 
SENIOR COMMUNITY COMMISSION 
SEEKING “OLDER ‘SIERRA MADRE’ 
AMERICAN OF THE YEAR” 

Sierra Madre, CA. - The City of Sierra Madre Community 
Services Department and the Senior Community Commission is seeking your 
assistance to find the 2014 Older ‘Sierra Madre’ American of the Year. 

Nominated individuals must live in Sierra Madre, demonstrate outstanding 
community service and be age 60 or older. Nomination forms can be obtained 
from the Hart Park House Senior Center, Community Recreation Center, City 
Hall, Sierra Madre Public Library or by contacting the Senior Services Desk at 

(626) 355-7394. 
Nominations are due by Tuesday, February 18, 2014 and can be dropped off atthe Hart Park House Senior Center or mailed to City of Sierra Madre, c/o OlderAmerican Nomination, 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd, Sierra Madre, CA 91024. The 
Senior Community Commission will discuss nominees and announce the honoreeat their regular scheduled meeting on Thursday, March 6, 2014 in the Sierra MadreCity Council Chambers. The honoree will also be recognized at a reception held intheir honor on Friday, May 9, 2014. 

Previous Honorees include: Joan Crow, Jerry & Nan Carlton, Pat Alcorn, Fran 
Garbaccio, Ken Anhalt, Eph Konigsberg, Russ Anderson, George Throop, 
Loyal Camacho, John Grijalva, Joylouise Harte-Smith, James Heasley, Midge 
Morash, James Tyler, Isbella Paegal, Bonnie Garner, Rose Fafach, Ed Wellman, 
Celeste McCleary, Dorothy Tillquist, Doris Webster, Elsie Dannmayer, George 
Mauer & Karl Teigler. 

ELECTION 
COVERAGE 
On April 8, 2014, voters in Sierra 
Madre will go to the polls and select 
three people from a field of four to 
sit on the City Council. They will 
also vote on a local ballot measure 
to extend the city’s current User 
Utility Tax Ordinance. 
The Mountain Views News 
will provide our readers with 
comprehensive coverage of this election. Each week, as we have done in the past, 
we will profile the candidates and give each of the candidates the opportunity to 
introduce themselves to our readers by answering the following questions: 
1. Why are you running for City Council? 
2. What are you going to do for Sierra Madre? 
3. How do you plan on accomplishing your goals? 
(All candidates are being asked to answer the same questions and their answers 
will be published unedited.) 
The paper will also review the pros and cons of the proposed User Utility Tax 
Ordinance. 
The schedule will be as follows: 
February 15th An Impartial Analysis of Measure UUT 
February 22nd The Pros and Cons of Measure UUT 
February 28th Candidate Denise Delmar 
March 1st Candidate Rachelle Arizmendi 
March 8th Candidate Noah Green 
March 15th Candidate Eugene Goss 
March 22nd Candidate Forum Review 
It is our sincere hope that each candidate will submit their answers so that we can 
share them with our readers. A separate letter has been sent to each candidate 
asking them to participate. 
In addition to the candidate spotlights, we will attempt to cover the various 
forums sponsored by local organizations. Where possible, the unedited video of 
these forums will be broadcast on the papers website. 
Our reporting on this election will be as fair and objective as possible. However, 
please keep in mind that our columnists are always free to share their opinions. 
Their opinions are their opinions and may or may not reflect the position of the 
paper. This is true in all things, not just this election. 
We will also provide for you the calendar of important dates regarding the 
election. It is our goal to do whatever we can to help you make an informed 
decision on April 8, 2014. Susan Henderson, Publisher and Editor 
SIERRA MADRE’S HISTORIC WILSON-BIXBY 
HOUSE FOR SALE 


The Wilson-Bixby House is a 
monument to Sierra Madre’s rich 
history and reflects the Gilded Age of 
Victorian-Era architecture. Originally 
constructed in 1881, the house as 
one of the City’s oldest treasures and 
is reportedly the oldest inhabited 
residence. Situated wonderfully on a 
gentle hill, the home’s wrap-around 
porch with beautiful fretwork sets the 
tone for the property, revealing its 
farmhouse roots. Features throughout 
that define and enhance its character 
include high ceilings adorned with 
plaster medallions, original woodwork 
including beautifully turned stair 
spindles, fine metalwork found in 
window and door hardware, tall 
original windows that allow light to 
stream in and hardwood floors. 

The original property of 20 acres (two 
10 acre plots) was purchased from 
town developer Nathanial Carter by 
Mr. Wilson an attorney in Los Angeles 
for an orange grove. The property 
extended from Central Ave. (changed 
to Sierra Madre Blvd. in the 1930’s) 
to Highland and from Lima west to a 
point west of the Bailey Canyon stream 
that would amount to 20 acres. 

The house, barn and tank house were 
built on the eastern 10 acres of the 
property in 1881 by Wilson and orange 
trees were planted. A photo dated 
1882 shows the house with many small 
orange trees, with white stakes in front 
of the house. This photo also shows 
open country clear up to the mountains. 
The house and tank house are all that 
is left of the original buildings on the 
ranch. The original house had an open 
porch on three sides was two stories 
with two bedrooms upstairs, kitchen, 
parlor and two bedrooms downstairs.
The property was supplied by Sierra 
Madre co-operative water Co. from 

springs in the foothills. Each ranch At this point the house contained 
property was allowed a certain day and four bedrooms plus a trunk room 
time to draw water from the system upstairs. The downstairs consisted of 
supply line by a valve at the northern a front parlor with a fireplace, a dining 
edge of the property on Highland room, two bed rooms, and a screened 
Avenue. At this time the water tank sleeping bed room for Mrs. Evans who 
in the top of the tank house was filled had to sleep in an open bed room, a 
for household and garden use and the bath room and a kitchen. 
orange orchard was irrigated. Records 
show that the water billing address for The county records show that the 
the property was on Highland Ave. house has seven bedrooms, the four 

upstairs and three downstairs. In the 
The undeveloped western 10 acres 1920’s a floor heater was added to the 
were sold sometime in the 1890’s. In downstairs and the upstairs trunk 
the 1890’s the property was sold to the room was converted into a bathroom. 
second owner, A. Bixby who continued Grove Lane was the original driveway 
the orange grove enterprise and to the house and barn as the property 
maintained the house as a mountain address was on Central Ave (now Sierra 
retreat for his family. This is the same Madre Boulevard.). During the lean 
Bixby that developed areas of Long years of the depression Mr. Evans sold 
Beach and Santa Monica. There are off many lots along Highland Avenue, 
several photos of the Bixby family in Lima and Sierra Madre Blvd. 
and around the house. 

In the 1930’s, Montecito Ave was 
The eastern 10 acres that contained completed, continuing all the way from 
the house, barn and tank house plus Lima to Sunnyside. In 1957 Mr. Evans 
several out buildings and orange grove sold the remaining one and a half acres 
was sold to W.A. Evans in 1903. Mr. to Lewis George Jr. George split the 
Evans operated the orange grove and property into four lots. 
egg ranch, the hen house was to the 
west of the house. Dick and Elva Johnson purchased 

the lot containing the house and tank 
The house was lit by natural gas that house in 1964, and have owned the 
was piped to all of the rooms of the property every since. Many repairs 
house & heated by coal heaters in each and restorations were completed over 
room connected to two chimneys. In the years. A major restoration was 
the early 1900’s when electricity came started in 1991 when the Sierra Madre 
to Sierra Madre, Mr. Evans remodeled earthquake damaged the house. 
the house installing electricity, 
expanded the upstairs from two to four The house was gutted inside, and 
bedrooms and a trunk room. Also a underwent three years of restoration 
screened sleeping room, and indoor which included new foundation, 
bathroom were added to the first structural reinforcement, new updated 
floor. Mr. Evans was also a builder that electrical service and plumbing, 
installed electricity in many houses in including copper piping most rooms 
Sierra Madre. His daughter told us that were wired for phone and cable, new 
this was the first house in Sierra Madre heating and air conditioning systems 
with electricity. The remodel makes for the upstairs and downstairs. 
the house larger for the Evans family. (continued on page 14) 

Read The Paper Online At: www.mtnviewsnews.com


THANK YOU CVS! 


When CVS Pharmacy announced earlier this 
week that they were going to stop selling cigarettes 
and other tobacco products at its more 
than 7,600 CVS/pharmacy stores across the 

U.S. by October 1, 2014, their actions caught 
the attention of the entire nation, and especially 
the children in Mrs. York’s third grade class 
at Sierra Madre Elementary School. 
“I appreciate your billion-dollar health risk to 
try to get people to stop smoking”, says Marcus, 
who then goes on to encourage the chain to sell 
new products to offset their losses. 

“Thank you so much for not selling cigarettes 
and tobacco. My dad’s adoptive parents both 
died from smoking”, says “a very thankful student 
in Mrs. York’s class, Annika”.

 These young people are to be commended for 
letting CVS, a corporate giant, know that their 
actions will have a positive impact on their 
lives. Thank you, the children of Mrs. York’s 
class for stepping up to the plate!