2014 SIERRA MADRE WISTARIA FESTIVAL 


SUNDAY - MARCH 16, 2014 


VOLUME 8 NO. 11

MOUNTAIN 
VIEWS NEWS 
EAST VALLEY 
EDITOR JOAN 
SCHMIDT 
HONORED BY 
LA COUNTY 
COMMISSION 
FOR WOMEN 

Joan Schmidt, East Valley 
Editor for the Mountain Views 
News, and a Monrovia resident for 
27 years was among the honorees 
at the 29th Annual “Women of 
the Year’ Awards and Scholarship 
Luncheon held at the Dorothy 
Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles 
on Monday.

Supervisor Mike 
Antonovich nominated Ms. 
Schmidt, a retired teacher of 
twenty-five years at Annunciation 
School, Arcadia, for this special 
award for her service and 
San Gabriel Valley Examiner, spoke to Inday 

SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014 
dedication to her community.

Moses and began a ten year stint with that 

In 1992, although a full-time teacher, 

paper. 

she heeded the suggestion of then Captain Bob 

During her ten years on the Town 

Mirabella, Commander of Temple Station, 

Council, Joan received several awards: 1999 

to help form a “Town Council” and become 

City of Duarte Civic Service Award and 2001 

a member. When the question of “drawing 

Woman of the Year by Assemblyman Dennis 

up an area map” arose, she volunteered and 

Mountjoy. In addition she was recognized by 

insisted Arcadia is included. For two weeks, 

Supervisor Antonovich, L.A. County Parks 

she handed out 500 flyers in South Arcadia to 

and Recreation Department, Los Angeles 

ensure representation from that area. Carolyn 

County Sheriff ’s Department and California 

Ziegler came aboard and Carolyn was the 

Highway Patrol.

impetus for Monrovia Transit serving all three 

After ten years, Joan decided to step 

areas and the Stop Sign at Daines/Tyler which 

down from writing and the Town Council. 

residents had been unsuccessfully seeking for 

Curriculum in schools was much more 

25 years! 

extensive. Because of the economy, there were 

As a candidate for the newly-formed 

budget cuts. In addition to seven subjects, there 

Town Council, Joan was asked her goals. After 

had to be lessons for art and computer. Joan 

listening to many Duarte county residents voice 

felt the need to concentrate on her teaching.

concerns about many issues and having no one 

In 2010, Joan retired from 

to call for assistance, Joan said, “My goal is to 

Annunciation. After some prodding from 

bring our three communities together as one, 

Supervisor Antonovich, she resumed her 

and alert ALL residents what specific county 

writing career and became East Valley Editor 

agency to contact for assistance.” 

for the Mountain Views News. There STILL 

After the Town Council formed, 

were people in the county areas not aware there 

Joan knew she had to spread the word about 

was a Town Council! Residents STILL did not 

the Council. She Xeroxed copies of a flyer 

know who to call if they needed assistance! 

about the Council and started giving them 

Joan’s goal is basically the same as it was in 

to neighbors in Monrovia. But that wasn’t 

1993: “Get the news out and let residents know 

enough. One day, she picked up the Gem City 

what is happening in our areas.” She also feels 

News, a local weekly paper and decided to try 

that “There are so many positive things going 

the press. She contacted Editor David Crane 

on in our communities…we need to spread 

and he ran the article. She also met with Von 

the word and get more residents involved...our 

Reese from the Monrovia/Arcadia Weekly and 

county area IS a great place to call HOME. 

then went to the phonebook. She called the 

ARE THE WATER WARS BACK? 

Sierra Madre Confronts Arcadia Over SuspectedViolations of Water Rights By Susan Henderson 

For several months, the City of Sierra Madre has been City of Arcadiajudiciously monitoring the water levels of its wells. The Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallerymonitoring not only included measuring the water lev-Pasadena Cemetery Associationels, but also researching whether or not there were other City of Pasadenafactors that contributed to the diminishing water supply. City of Sierra MadreAnd, according to Sierra Madre City Manager Elaine California-American Water CompanyAguilar, it was discovered that Arcadia was in fact draw-East Pasadena Water Companying down more than their allocated share of water from Kinneloa Irrigation Districtthe East Raymond Basin. La Canada Irrigation District

Los Flores Water CompanyThe facts are both simple and complex. The distribution Lincoln Avenue Water Companyof water in the Raymond Basin was adjudicated in 1937 Rubio Canon Land and Water Association 
“when officials from the City of Pasadena called together San Gabriel County Water Districtrepresentatives of other Raymond Basin Producers in an Sunny Slope Water Company andattempt to negotiate a pumping reduction on a coopera-Valley Water Company.
tive basis”, according to the opening brief submitted by These entities will ultimately decide if the City of Sierra 
Sierra Madre Assistant City Holly Whatley. Madre’s claim is valid. 

That negotiation failed and the courts ultimately laid out At the hearing on Thursday, the city presented a brief 
the plan for “purveyors” to draw water from the wells. asking the Board to Enforce the 1984 Judgement. (That 
The cities involved included Pasadena, Arcadia, Sierra judgement was the last court action taken which upheld 
Madre, Alhambra and twelve other entities such as the the city’s rights regarding the East Raymond Basin). Both 
Kinneloa Irrigation District and the Sunny Slope Water sides, Arcadia and Sierra Madre not only were represent-
Company. That ruling, although challenged unsuccess-ed by their lawyers but also brought expert witnesses. 
fully over the years still governs who can take how much 
water from the basin. Ten people from Sierra Madre were present including 

Mayor Walsh and Council members John Capoccia and 
However, despite the adjudication which limits how Chris Koerber. Whatley stressed the adverse impact Ar-
much water can be drawn by the city of Arcadia, Sierra cadia’s actions were having, especially in face of the cur-
Madre City officials are alleging that its neighbor is vio-rent drought. 
lating the agreement and taking water that doesn’t belong 
to them. One of Arcadia’s arguments against the city’s claims is 

that they believe the science used to establish the bound-
Specifically, the allegations are that two new wells, the aries is ‘outdated. Witnesses on both side argued that 
Anoakia Well built by Arcadia in 2001 and the Colora-point. 
do Well, built in 2007, are taking water from the Sierra 
Madre allocation. The hearing lasted more than two and a half hours. A 

decision from the Board is expected in mid-April. 
Arcadia on the other hand is challenging the boundaries 
of the basin and claiming that they are not. Regardless who prevails, it is very likely that the matter 

will ultimately end up back in the courts, as the courts 
On Thursday, March 13, 2014, the matter was taken be-have the ultimate authority to decide the case. 
fore the basin’s “Watermaster” in an attempt to settle the 
dispute. In the brief filed by the City Attorney, the initial suit was 

filed in 1937 and decisions were rendered in 1944, 1954, 
The Watermaster, aka The Raymond Basin Management 1974, and 1984. Those familiar with the matter suggest 
Board consists of representatives from all users of the ba-that another court decision is probably forth coming.
sin, i.e., Stay tuned. 

City of Alhambra 

Inside this week: 

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: 
March 15th Candidate Noah Green 
March 22nd Candidate Eugene Goss 
March 29th 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 
CANDIDATE FOR SIERRA MADRE CITY COUNCIL 

SIERRA MADRE 

NOAH GREEN 

Calendar Page 2 

I am a proud resident of the Canyon and live 

Sierra Madre News Page 3 

in a little house just past Mary’s Market. My 
wife and I have met many good people here 

PASADENA/ALTADENA 

who we are proud to call friends. I am a 14year 
attorney and specialize in representing 

Deputy Saves Teen From Pg. 4 

small businesses. 

Been Attack 

I am running for City Council because I am 

AROUND SGV Pg. 5 

trying to make our piece of the world a better 
place, and thought it was time for me to lead 
instead of follow. 

ARCADIA NEWS Pg. 6 
MONROVIA/DUARTE

Here is what I stand for: 

Pg.7 

1. Water Supply 
EDUCATION & YOUTH

Grey water systems divert much of our used 

Pg. 8 

water away from the sewer and back into the 
ground to replenish our wells. I would require 

FOOD & DRINK 

them on new construction and provide financial assistance for retrofits with 
funds available through state and federal programs. 

Pg. 9 

Legal battles with Arcadia and others over water rights will surely intensify as 

BEST FRIENDS

the drought continues. I will make sure that our interests are properly defended. 

Pg. 10 

2. Budget 
HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

I will review the budget on a line-item basis and require justification for every 

Pg. 11 

expense. I believe my experience in helping businesses shed unnecessary 
expenses to emerge from bankruptcy will be useful in this regard. 

THE GOOD LIFE Pg. 12 

3. Police and Fire 
With average response times between 3-4 minutes, our Police and Fire 

BUSINESS NEWS Pg. 11 

Departments provide excellent service while remaining under local 
control. I oppose outsourcing public safety to the County. 

4. Business 
We can help our local businesses by adding more events like the Wistaria 
Festival. How about a Halloween event? Why not move the farmer’s 
market to the weekends in Kersting Court? 

5. Development 
I want our town to stay beautiful and uncrowded because I will be living 
here another 30-40 years. I will do everything in my power to control 
development. 

I thank you for your consideration and hope to earn your vote. 


LEFT TURN/RIGHT 
TURN/OPINION Pg. 14 
HOMES & PROPERTY 
WORLD AROUND US 
Pg. 13 
MORE WISTARIA 
& SIERRA MADRE 
NEWS & FEATURES 
IN SECTION B 
SIERRA MADRE KIWANIS CLUB PRESENTS: 
COUNCIL CANDIDATE FORUM 
Tuesday, March 18, 2014 12:00 noon 
The Lodge in Sierra Madre33 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Sierra Madre, Ca. 
SIERRA MADRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRESENTS: 
TELEVISED CANDIDATES FORUM 
Tuesday, March 18, 2014 6:00 pmCity Council Chambers 
Read The Paper Online At: www.mtnviewsnews.com