Mountain Views News          Saturday, January 31, 2015

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Mountain View News Saturday, January 31, 2015 

Walking Sierra Madre…The Social Side 

by Deanne Davis

45TH ANNUAL FRIENDS OF THE SIERRA MADRE 
LIBRARY WINE AND CUISINE TASTING 

“Just around the corner in every woman’s mind 
– is a lovely dress, a wonderful suit,

or an entire costume which will make an 
enchanting new creature of her.” 

Wilhela Cushman

And I know exactly where she can go to find 
that lovely dress, wonderful suit, designer bag 
or a fabulous leather jacket. It’s Ritz Resale! 
If you haven’t discovered Ritz on your own 
yet, I can guarantee you’re going to find 
yourself checking it out in the next couple of 
days. Mountain Views News Editor, Susan 
Henderson, asked me if I’d been there yet 
and I hadn’t. But friends and neighbors, I’ve 
definitely been now and I’ll be going again. 

 Jennifer Bekkedal, the owner of Ritz Resale 
told me that her mother started the business 
some years ago as the result of an extremely 
successful garage sale when she noticed that 
what went the fastest was the clothing. So 
Jennifer’s mom found some friends to partner 
with and they opened a store on Green Street 
in Pasadena. Eventually, she parted ways 
with the partners and opened Ritz Resale on 
Mentor right by the Ice House. Ritz was a 
great success on Mentor since 1980. But, alas, 
the building was sold and Jennifer decided 
she wanted to come to where she could see the 
mountains, right across the street from Sierra 
Madre. Ritz is in the corner suite of that really 
beautiful yellow building on the west side of 
Michillinda at the corner of Valley View. You 
know, just up the hill from the center where 
Albertson’s Market used to be. They’re right 
next to Mathnasium and there are condos on 
the upper stories.

 OK, I’ve lost all the guys now, so let’s take 
a minute to talk about Deflategate. Seriously, 
do any of us believe Tom Brady had anything 
to do with those footballs being a couple of 
pounds short of a picnic, even if he does like 
the slightly deflated ball? We admit it, we’re 
Seahawks fan. We like Pete Carroll, no matter 
where he goes, so we’re hoping the Seahawks 
emerge as Super Bowl winners. And, of 
course, we’re only in it to see the Super Bowl 
commercials and indulge in our last food 
extravaganza before cold, hard reality sets in 
and we realize not only have we not lost the 
Christmas couple of pounds, but we’ve added 
New Year’s and Playoff pounds. Seriously, 
this has to stop!

 The first thing you need to do is check 
out Ritz Resale’s website: www.ritzresale.
com. Ritz handles designer clothes on a 
consignment basis and the store is filled with 
lovely name brand goodies. I saw a Diane 
Von Furstenberg dress, several Tracy Reese 
and others. There is a fabulous line – Citron 
– based in Santa Monica, blouses, jackets, 
dresses, designed to fit and flatter just about 
anybody and the fabrics! Oh my gosh! Each 
piece is a one of a kind item and the design 
and finishing is exquisite. Jennifer is also a 
custom shopper for her clients. If she sees 
something that will be perfect for one of her 
regulars, she’ll call to let them know. She’s 
even got a pickup service for clients who 
have a number of designer items for her. The 
website can tell you everything you need to 
know about working with Jennifer to do 
consignment sales.

 Jennifer Bekkedal started working with 
her mom on resale when she was nine years 
old. Needless to say, she knows the business. 
They worked together till mom retired about 
eight years ago. Ritz handles quite a bit of new 
merchandise, in addition to pre-owned and 
consignment. They’ve got jeans and pants, 
outerwear, dresses, suits, gently used shoes and 
boots. Jennifer has planned the inventory at 
Ritz to appeal to all ages. She’s got something 
for everyone. “I want to help people to dress 
well, I want to make a contribution to people’s 
lives. It makes me feel good.”

 Ritz handles store closeouts, after-sale 
items, dressy and casual. She has celebrity 
items…she once sold a leather coat that 
was Angela Bassett’s! She has jewelry to 
accessorize your new outfit, and let me 
mention those designer bags one more time. 
Jennifer adds exciting new things daily so 
don’t think if you can’t find what you want 
today that you won’t find it tomorrow! And 
the prices! You’ve gotta check it out!

 Ritz Resale is open Tuesday-Saturday from 
11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Here’s their phone 
number: 626-449-3528. Ritz is at 900 Valley 
View at Michillinda.

Hey Walking Sierra Madre friends…. 

Check out my book page: Deanne Davis @ 
Amazon.com My book: “Tablespoon of Love, 
Tablespoon of Laughter” is a great Valentine’s 
Day gift!


Tickets are on sale now for the 45th Annual Friends of 
the Sierra Madre Library Wine and Cuisine Tasting. The 
event will be held on Friday evening, February 20, 2015, 
at the Alverno Villa, 675 West Highland Avenue, Sierra 
Madre, CA. The Alverno Villa Del Sol D’Oro, built on 
13 acres in the foothills of Sierra Madre was designed by 
notable Pasadena architect Wallace Neff. Well-known in 
the Los Angeles area, Neff was the designer of Pickfair, 
we well as an architect to many of Hollywood’s earliest 
stars. The Villa is a two-thirds scale replica of the Villa 
Collazzi near Florence rumored to have been designed 
by Michelangelo. Plan to attend this elegant affair in an 
historic setting where you will experience a tasting of 
fines wines from across the state as well as hors d’oeuvres 
and desserts from local restaurants and gourmet retailers. 

 Tickets to the Premier Event are $80 and allow you 
early admission at 6:00PM. Johnny Stange, the sommelier 
from Treasury Wine Estates, will give a special wine 
tasting for those at the Premier Event, a chocolatier will 
provide chocolates to be paired with the red wines, and 
a local restaurant will offer hors d’oeuvres to be paired 
with the white wines. 

 Tickets to the Main Event are $60 and provide 
admission at 7:00 PM. Throughout the evening you will 
enjoy live music and Magic Castle magicians as you stroll 
about the lovely grounds of the Alverno Villa sampling 
the wonderful wines and appetizers. A silent auction 
will again be offering lovely artwork, services, tickets 
to special events, restaurant vouchers, and many other 
tempting items. Tickets are currently on sale at the Sierra 
Madre Library, the Bottle Shop, Savor the Flavor, and 
Arnold’s Frontier Hardware.

 The Friends of the Sierra Madre Library is a non-
profitorganization and all proceeds from the February 
20, 2015 event will benefit the Sierra Madre Library. 
For more information visit our website at www.
sierramadrelibraryfriends.org, or call the library at 626 
355-7186.

CONTRIBUTE A DESIGN FOR THE 2016 SIERRA MADRE ROSE FLOAT

 Submissions are due by February 6th, 2015. 

 Mike Matthiessen, President of the 2016 Tournament 
of Roses, announced the Official Theme for the Rose 
Parade on January 15th. The parade theme is:

“Find Your Adventure”

 

 “This theme has grown out of a unique relationship 
between the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and the U.S. 
National Park Service. The 2016 Rose Parade will help 
shine light on the centennial celebration of our nation’s 
national parks. As proponents of the American spirit, 
we encourage people to find beauty in the landscape that 
builds the backdrop of their lives. From coast-to-coast, 
we will add stories of adventure to our collection while 
protecting our unique heritage and looking to the future.

 The 2016 Rose Parade has grown out of a unique 
partnership between the United States National 
Park Service and the Pasadena Tournament of Roses 
Association.

Both organizations aim to:

• Celebrate history

• Create awareness

• Encourage individuals to get engaged

Whether visting or learning, everyone’s definition of 
“Adventure” can be different:

• Educational

• Environmental

• Wellness & Recreation

• History

• Community

 So put on your thinking caps and put your thoughts to 
paper!! 

 Go to SMRoseFloat.org and download the forms.

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE

The Sierra Madre Garden Club invites you and your 
sweetheart to join them at their meeting on February 
9th for the program “CHOCOLATE: A GARDEN OF 
EARTHLY DELIGHTS.”

 PAT KROK, a garden club member, and a local 
foodie, will present the program. It will cover the 
growing, harvesting, processing of cacao plants and 
the creation of mouth-watering confections. There 
will be a simple chocolate tasting followed by a truffle 
making demonstration. Yes, there will be samples!

 MARK YOUR CALENDARS. February 9, 2015. 
Everyone is invited. Dinner begins at 6:30 P.M.; 
followed by the program at 7:15 P.M. Catered dinner is 
$11; reservations for dinner must be made by February 
7th by calling 626-836-4945. There is no charge for 
attending only the program.

 

 Location: Hart Park House, Memorial Park, 222 W. 
Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre. For information call 
the reservation number or visit www.smgarden.org

2015 WISTARIA FESTIVAL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Calling all volunteers. The Sierra Madre Chamber of 
Commerce is looking for volunteers to help with the 
2015 Wistaria Festival to be held on March 15, 2015. 
The first volunteer meeting will be held on Thursday, 
February 5, 2015 at 6:00 pm at the Chamber offices, 19 
Suffolk Ave., Ste. A., Sierra Madre 626-355-5111


Sierra Madre Police Blotter

During the week of Sunday, January 18th, to 
Sunday, January 25th, the Sierra Madre Police 
Department responded to approximately 336 
calls for service.

Thursday, January 22nd

 At 11:56 am, Sierra Madre Police responded 
to the 500 block of North Baldwin Avenue 
regarding suspicious activity. They were 
informed by the caller, a delivery man, that 
while he was driving in the neighborhood he 
stopped at a stop sign. When he looked over 
toward the victim’s home, he saw a Male black 
wearing a grey hoodie, blue pants and black 
gloves on both hands. The suspect then noticed 
he was being watched and hid in a bush on the 
property. Shortly after, the suspect ran from the 
bush and into the passenger seat of a charcoal 
grey Toyota Prius. Upon arrival, Officers 
investigated the perimeter of the residence and 
noticed through the window that the master 
room had been ransacked. Officers contacted 
the home owners and concluded the suspect 
entered the residence through an unlocked 
side gate and an unlocked sliding door outside 
of the master bedroom. The suspect ransacked 
several rooms within the home, and had 
actually dropped several jewelry items outside 
of the residence as he was leaving. This case has 
been forwarded to the Detectives Bureau.

 At 12:38 pm, Sierra Madre Police responded 
to the 200 Block of Old Oak Avenue regarding 
an in-progress residential burglary. Upon 
arrival, Officers were contacted by the home 
owner and informed that while he was in the 
restroom he heard noises coming from his 
living room. He then heard glass breaking 
and his alarm system beep twice indicating 
a door or window had been opened. As the 
victim exited the restroom and walked down 
the hallway, he noticed a Male black wearing 
a dark colored hoodie and dark pants. The 
victim went to another room to retrieve a 
large flashlight and upon returning to the 
location of the suspect, he was gone. The 
victim noticed his front door was wide open, 
which was previously locked. While canvasing 
the area for witnesses, Officers were informed 
that a nearby resident had witnessed a dark 
colored Prius circling the cul-de-sac then exit 
the community. Shortly after he noticed two 
male subjects walk up to the victim’s home, 
and open the property gate. Moments later 
he witnessed one of the suspects run from the 
residence’s front door and down the street. 
As he exited his home, he noticed the second 
suspect walking briskly down the street. Both 
suspects were described a Male black, 6 feet tall 
with a thin build. This case has been forwarded 
to the Detectives Bureau.

 At 1:47 pm, Sierra Madre Police responded 
to the area of Sierra Madre Blvd and Rancho 
Rd regarding a woman being forced into 
a vehicle against her will. The reporting 
party informed Officers that she witnessed 
a pick up truck driven by a heavy set male 
Hispanic, pull up to a bus stop and force a 
woman into the truck. By the time Officers 
arrived to the location, the truck and driven 
away, presumably with the victim. Later that 
evening, the victim arrived at the station and 
informed Officers that while she was sitting at 
bus stop to go home, the suspect pulled up and 
demanded she get into the truck. When she 
refused the suspect grabbed ahold of her and 
threatened to kill her. The victim continued 
to fight and as the bus approached the bus 
stop, she was able to break free and jump on 
the bus. The victim described the suspect as 
her ex-boyfriend of 20 years. She recently left 
him due to his sudden violent and abusive 
behavior. She stated the suspect would call 
her all times of the day and would follow her 
to her work locations demanding to see her. 
The victim feared for her life. While assisting 
Officers, the victim helped apprehend the 
suspect at his residence. The suspect was 
arrested and booked on multiple charges. 

Friday, January 23rd

At 8:00 pm, Sierra Madre Police responded 
to the 100 Block of Webster Way regarding a 
theft report. The victim informed Officers that 
between the 20th and 22nd, she had an open 
house in an attempt to showcase her house and 
sell it. While she was away, she left her home 
in the possession of her realtor. Several realtor 
agents brought their clients to tour the home. 
In all about 120 individuals has full access to 
tour the home. After the tours were over, the 
victim returned to her home and noticed some 
of her jewelry was missing. The victim believes 
her items were stolen during the open house 
sessions. The estimated loss was valued at 
$14,000. This case has been forwarded to the 
Detectives Bureau. 

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