SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2014

VOLUME 8 NO. 36

PROMINENT SIERRA 
MADRE BUSINESSMAN

ED CLARE PASSES AWAY

TOWN HALL MEETING: Child Safety and AWEST


On Tuesday evening, the Sierra 
Madre Police Department, led 
by Chief Larry Gianonne and 
Captain Carlos Islas held a Town 
Hall meeting that was dedicated 
to educating the public on how to 
keep our children safe. The topics 
discussed were School Safety, Traffic 
Safety, and Internet Safety. SMPD 
Detective Henry Amos and SMPD 
Officer Elena Lozano also shared 
valuable information for those in 
attendance.

 FBI agents Bryan Willet and Scott 
Love spoke on the pitfalls and 
potential perils of the internet and 
on cyber safety/crime and how to 
protect yourself and your family.

 While the presentations were 
outstanding and provided the 
audience with valuable information, 
the majority of those in attendance 
wanted to hear from the 
Police Chief more about the 
convicted sex offender AWest 
who has come back to Sierra 
Madre to live.

 The story of his return was 
an exclusive in the August 
23rd edition of the Mountain 
Views News. (http://
mtnviewsnews.com/v08/
htm/n34/index.htm). Since 
that time, the community 
has been outraged that state 
and federal officials have not 
enforced the existing statutes 
that would prevent AWest 
from living within 2000 feet 
of a school or park, and that it 
took several months from the 
time of his registration to the 
time his profile was posted on 
the MeganÕs Law website.

 The matter has now drawn 
the attention of the main 
stream media. The Town 
Hall meeting was covered 
by all of the local television 
stations who were contacted 
by concerned parents. KFI 
Radio has aired a segment 
with a Sierra Madre resident 
named ÒEllenÓ on the matter. The main question 
that everyone wants answered is the same, what 
happened to JessicaÕs Law (Prop 83)? Why is it not 
being enforced?

 Captain Gianonne shared with the audience the 
information he has received regarding enforcing 
JessicaÕs law from the Department of Justice and 
the District AttorneyÕs office. He also attended 
the St. Rita PTA meeting on Thursday and again 
explained the situation. He lives approximately 
345 feet from St. Rita school.

According to the information SMPD has 
been given, only the federal sentence has been 
governing his post conviction behavior and 
federal law does not have a residency requirement. 
Gianonne is awaiting for more in depth answers 
to the same questions that concerned citizens 
have been asking,: Why isnÕt AWest required to 
comply with JessicaÕs Law? Why wasnÕt he listed on 
the MeganÕs Law website until after inquiries from 
the newspaper in August? 

 AWest was convicted of one count of possesson 
of child pornography in federal court and two counts of lewd and 
lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14 (the victim was 
6 years old), in state court. He was sentenced to 8 years under 
federal statutes and 6 years each for the state offenses. He was 
allowed to serve the sentences concurrently in Federal Prison and 
was released in January of this year after serving 8 years.

 In telephone interviews with Brian Segal of the California 
Department of Justice regarding the stateÕs jurisdiction over 
AWest under Prop 83. His answers were contradictory. He 
suggested that because the time had been served in a Federal 
Prison, state laws would not apply. When asked to cite the legal 
authority for that, he referred the author to the LA County 
District AttorneyÕs Office.

 One referral after another, (The Bureau of Investigation, the 
Investigator on Duty, the Sex Crimes Investigator, finally the 
buck stopped with the Office of Deputy District Attorney Barbara 
Murphy in Pasadena.

 DDA Murphy, despite two days of non stop coverage on local TV 
and inquiries from other law enforcement agencies said, ÒI canÕt 
answer you because I havenÕt looked at the fileÓ. When asked 
if it was true that serving federal prison time would exonerate 
a convict from their post conviction remedies for their state 
convictons she said she didnÕt know.

 When asked if a plea bargain could have been made that would 
have in effect freed AWest from complying with state law, she also 
could not or would not answer.

 Interestingly, on the California Department of Corrections 
and RehabilitationÕs website (http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Parole/
Sex_Offender_Facts/jessicas_law.html ). It says: 

ÒThe lawÕs [JessicaÕs] most significant provisions prohibit sex 
offenders from living within 2,000 feet of any school and park, and 
mandate Global Positioning System (GPS) supervision for life; 

With the exception of Los Angeles County, CDCR parole agents are 
actively enforcing JessicaÕs LawÕs 2,000 foot residency restrictions.Ó 

JessicaÕs Law was passed in 2006 by California Voters - Proposition 
83. It was born out of the outrage over the lack of monitoring of 
a sex offender that ultimatly lead to the death of a child while the 
predator was out of jail. It has been tested in the courts twice, 
upheld by the Appellate Courts and one case is currently pending 
before the California Supreme Court. 

Gianonne did inform residents that under the federal terms of 
his release and his status as a registered sex offender, AWest is not 
allowed to be within 100 feet of a child. The example given was 
if he entered Starbucks and there is a child in the store under 18, 
he must leave. Therefore, Gianonne asks residents to be watchful 
and should they notice a violation of the 100 foot rule to call 
SMPD immediately.

S. Henderson/MVNews


On Wednesday, Sierra Madre lost another of itsÕ leading citizens, 
Ed Clare. He died from an apparent heart attack at his home. He 
was two weeks shy of his 69th birthday.

Ed was the owner of Ed Clare Electric, a company founded by 
his father. He was a member of the Sierra Madre Kiwanis Club 
and VFW 3208. 

Funeral arrangements were pending at press time.

EVERY DROP COUNTS! 

 Residents need to be aware of the new restrictions on 
watering. 

 Even-numbered addresses are limited to landscape irrigation 
on Mondays and Thursdays. Odd-numbered addresses and 
addresses ending in fractions are limited to landscape irrigation 
on Tuesdays and Fridays. 

 For more information on the CityÕs water conservation efforts, 
please click here or call City Hall at 626.355.7135. If you would 
like to report water waste you can now do so on the CityÕs website 
or by emailing water@cityofsierramadre.com. Please describe how 
water is being wasted, include the location, and a photo if available. 
We will then send a courtesy notice to the property so the issue can 
be fixed. Every drop counts!

 Send an Email to water@cityofsierramadre.com OR use the 
form on the cityÕs website: www.cityofsierramadre.com 

 Describe how water is being wasted, include location, and photo if 
available. 

Convicted sex offender AWest cannot be 
within 100 feet of a child according for 
Federal guidelines.

Inside this week: 


CALENDAR Pg. 2

SIERRA MADRE NEWS

 Pg. 3

PASADENA/ALTADENA

 Pg. 4

ARCADIA NEWS 

MONROVIA/DUARTE 

 Pg. 5

EDUCATION & YOUTH

 Pg. 6

FOOD & DRINK

 Pg. 7

BEST FRIENDS

 Pg. 8

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

 Pg. 9

THE GOOD LIFE

Rich Johnson is back! Pg. 10

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

 Pg. 11

SECTION B 

AROUND SGV Pg. B1

THE WORLD AROUND US

 Pg. B2

 BUSINESS NEWS Pg. B3

 OPINION Pg. B4