Mountain Views News          Saturday, November 1, 2014

STAY INFORMED - NOVEMBER 4th IS ELECTION DAY

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2014

SECTION B

HALLOWEEN IN SIERRA MADRE!


In Sierra Madre, there are definitely more 
Treats in town than there are Tricks. In fact, 
one resident was overheard proclaiming 
Halloween as Sierra Madre’s ‘National 
Holiday’. 

This year the amount of activity has 
attracted thousands of people from all 
over the state and a few from as far away 
as the East Coast. The kick-off of the 
season was the Creative Arts Group’s 4th 
Annual Scarecrow Festival which ran 
from September 29th through October 
31st (although you will probably be able to 
view the Scarecrows through the weekend. 
There were over 60 entries this year and 
they are scattered all over town.

The town was also decorated from ‘head 
to toe’ with Cemeteries, Haunted Houses 
and other ghoulish things. And of course, 
no place in town matched the decorations 
displayed on Alegria between Baldwin 
and Mountain Trail. As has been the case 
every year, thousands line up on Halloween 
evening to see the sights. This year, CBS 
and ABC came out to interview The Parkers 
who dazzle the crowds with their amazing 
pumpkin carvings.

And what would Halloween been without 
the little ones and their costumes! More 
than any adult, children love the day when 
they can be whomever they want to be. On 
Friday morning at the various schools 
around town, one could see goblins, 
and witches, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, 
Monsters, Dragons, Ninja’s, Superheroes, 
you name it. Why even the Statue of 
Liberty went to class with tablet in hand.

Around the city business got into the 
act too! At Wound Care Advantage, the 
whole crew posed for a photo op beneath 
displays of a few unattached limbs!

Photo credits: Dodger Man and Wound 
Care Crew - S. Henderson/MVNews; 
Scariest Pumpkin with SMPH Comedian, Winning 3-4 
year olds and The Judges, Bill Coburn, sierramadrenews.
net; The cutest mouse and trap by Dean Lee, MVNews.

The Town’s Official M.C., Lisa Spagai was spectacular 
at the Costume Contest as she introduced, and cleverly 
managed about 100 anxious 
children who participated. 
Whether it was her school 
marm charm or that 
enchanting witches cackle, 
she was, once again, able 
to keep things flowing 
smoothly. The contest, 
sponsored by the City of 
Sierra Madre with support 
from the SM Chamber 
of Commerce and the 
Sierra Madre Kiwanis Club 
awarded the following 
prizes which were primarily 
purchased from local 
merchants:

Scariest Costume: Darby 
Lee - Pumpkin (picture above); 0-2 Year Olds: 
Abigail Wheeler aka the Mouse in the Trap 
(also above), Samuel Chakarian the Old Man 
from the movie UP and Sidney Cha, Tony the 
Tiger complete with Frosted Flakes; 3-4 Year 
Olds: (pictured above)

Lyla Villanueva the Alien, Jaxson Enriquez 
- Autumn Fairy and Soren Jetsen as 
Frankenstein.

 In the 5-7 year old category the winners were 
Claire Rewers (Slurpee), Brook-lynn Easter 
(Maleficent) and Asher Dewey (Fireman with 
Truck). The winners of the 8-12 category 
were: Andrew Byers (Homework Machine), 
Jay Walters (Mad Hatter) and Jessie Franks 
(Chicken Rider).

 There were entries in the Group category and they all were winners. 1. Alexa Peterson and Min 
Gradillas (Vampire Girls); Kahlo Gradillas. 2. Andrew Shaklan and Aaron Peterson (Politicians). 
3. The Krantz-McNeely Family - Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Tinkerbell. 4. The Raham Family - 
All Skeletons and The Silva Family of Sock Monkeys! Judges for the event were (above left to right) 
Kiwanians Susan Henderson, Chris Leclerc, Key Club Member Ryan Na and Kiwanis Auxillary member 
Shirley Anhalt. Also judging but not pictured - Mayor Harabedian.

HALLOWEEN WINDOW PAINTING CONTEST RESULTS

As you stroll through downtown Sierra Madre 
these days, you’ll be treated to some very creative 
Halloween window decorations courtesy of 
the youthful artists who participated in the 
Halloween window painting contest sponsored 
and underwritten by the Sierra Madre Civic Club. 
One hundred seventy-eight painters aged 9-14 
formed groups to decorate sixty-two windows. 
Their artistry and creativity made our three 
judges work very hard to determine the contest 
winners. Using cleanliness, creativity, Halloween 
theme, and use of color as criteria, they awarded 
the following groups winning certificates:

9 - 10 Year Olds 1st Place: Natalia Turko, Annika 
Bullock, Christine Manoukian, Kathleen 
O’Sullivan for Window # 28, Taylor’s Market 

2nd Place: Louella Hood, Kiera Dean for Window 
#15, Podley Properties 

Tie: Cayla Thames, Hailey Patino, Helena 
Locatelli for Window #26, Chase Bank

 3rd Place Charlotte Hardy, Cassandra Pichardo 
for Window # 11, Accurate 

11 - 12 Year Old 1st Place: Tess Robertson, Malia 
Tevan, Amadee Longhurst, Maggie Newhart for 
Window # 49, T-Neer

 2nd Place: Laura Delatorre, Chloe Reyes, Mialee 
Oates, Ima Nosch La-Or for Window #47, Only 
Place in Town

 Tie: Isabella Uribe-Rzeszut, Hillary Dapsanski, 
Grace Miller for Window # 37, Monsieur Crepe

 3rd.Place: Riley Vandervelde, Paige Harman, 
Danica Shar, Eva Tayarah for Window # 52, The 
Music Shop 

13 - 14 Year Olds 1st Place: Olivia Benegan, Laylaa 
Wells for Window # 58, Haynes & Oakley

2nd Place: Emma Allen, Maya Ledesma for Window 
# 57, Haynes & Oakley

 3rd Place: Lillian Todd, Claire Mauvezian, Sophia 
Hayek for Window # 62, Dog Wash America

Congratulations to all the winners and our thanks to 
all the painters for helping us decorate Sierra Madre 
for Halloween.

 Although committee chair Marcia Bent and 
many members from the Sierra Madre Civic Club 
worked long hours organizing, preparing for, and 
hosting the contest, we needed community support 
to make the event successful. We’d like to thank the 
forty-seven merchants who allowed us to use one or 
more of their windows and a special thanks to those 
who also donated money and merchandise to offset 
our costs. Their generosity was such that we even 
had supporters whose windows we were unable to 
paint (Corfu, Attitude, Arnold’s Frontier Hardware, 
Foothill Tek, Sierra Brigante, and I Fruggie). Students 
from Alverno, La Salle, and Sierra Madre Middle 
School donated a whole afternoon helping us tape the 
sixty-two window spaces to use and covering brick 
store fronts and window boxes with newspaper to 
protect them from drippy paint. Their attitude and 
helpfulness made a tough job a lot easier. And, of 
course, we appreciate the time and thought our three 
judges put into determining our contest winners. So 
do enjoy our beautiful, scary, funny, cute, spooky, 
clever window decorations knowing that it indeed 
does take a village.


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com