2015 IN REVIEW/2016 


SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2016

VOLUME 10 NO. 2

CLEM AND NINA BARTOLAI CHOSEN AS SIERRA 
MADRE’S 2015 CITIZENS OF THE YEAR

STOP THE UTILITY USERS TAX PETITION 
SIGNATURES CERTIFIED By Susan Henderson

After several failed attempts, Sierra 
Madre residents Earl Richey and David 
McMonigle finally gathered enough 
signatures to place their initiative to 
repeal the City of Sierra Madre’s Utility 
User’s Tax on a future ballot. 

 In October, 2015 their latest petition 
drive began and on December 21, 2015 
they submitted 384 signatures to Sierra 
Madre City Clerk Nancy Shollenberger. 
By law, the required number of 
signatures is based upon 5% of voters 
casting ballots at the last gubernatorial 
election which was in 2014. The ballots 
cast in Sierra Madre for that election 
was 3,824 and meaning a total of 
191 valid signatures were required to 
qualify the initiative petition. 

 The petition was then sent to LA 
County Registrar-Recorder Dean 
Logan and on December 29th, he 
sent the following information to 
Shollenberger:

 Signatures filed: 384

 Verified: 264

 Sufficient: 191

 Not Sufficient: 73.

 With the required signatures 
confirmed, the matter will be taken 
up by the council at its January 12th 
meeting.

 According to the staff report 
submitted to the council, the city must 
choose from one of several options:

OPTION I

Adopt the ordinance, without alteration, 
at the regular meeting at which the 
certification of the petition is presented, 
or within 10 days after it is presented. 

OPTION 2

Pursuant to EC Section 9212, order 
a report analyzing the impact of the 
ordinance on municipal operations. 
Staff must present the report no later 
than 30 days after it is ordered by 
the City Council. When the report is 
presented to the City Council, the City 
Council shall either adopt the ordinance 
within 10 days or order an election. 

OPTION 3a

Pursuant to EC Section 1405(b), submit 
the ordinance, without alteration, to the 
voters at the General Municipal Election 
to be held April 10, 2018, and direct the 
City Clerk to cause publication of the 
entire text of the proposed ordinance in 
the sample ballot. 

OPTION 3b

Should the Council decide to forgo 
the ordering of a report analyzing the 
impact of the ordinance on municipal 
operations (Pursuant to Elections 
Code 9212), the Council may schedule 
a special Council meeting, prior to 
January 15th, to adopt the necessary 
resolutions to place the matter on the 
April 12, 2016 ballot, and direct the 
City Clerk to cause publication of the 
entire text of the proposed ordinance 
in the sample ballot. The City Clerk 
would need to establish deadlines for 
preparation of ballot arguments and 
rebuttal arguments.

Option 3 is presented with two 
alternatives due to the timing of placing 
items on the April 12, 2016 municipal 
ballot and because the Proponents did 
not request a special election. Pursuant 
to the Elections Code, the last day to 
call for an election for a ballot measure 
is January 15, 2016. (A copy of the 
Elections Calendar is attached.) If the 
Council requests the report pursuant to 
Elections Code 9212, staff must present 
the report no later than 30 days after it is 
ordered by the City Council. Thirty days 
from January 12th is February 11, 2016. 
This essentially means the report would 
return to the February 9th Council 
meeting, which is past the January 15th 
deadline to place measures on the April 
12, 2016 ballot.

 This petition is touted as another 
victory for the California Tax 
Limitation Committee on their 
website and similar measures have 
been pursued in the cities of Glendale, 
Arcadia, Santa Monica and South 
Pasadena. However, Sierra Madre, 
unlike the other cities, has no car 
dealerships, shopping centers, etc. to 
support its general fund.

 

 There will be a ballot measure on the 
April 12, 2016 Sierra Madre ballot to 
increase the existing UUT in an effort 
to maintain city services such as Police, 
Fire and Paramedics.


The Sierra Madre Chamber of Commerce announced on Thursday the winner of the 2015 Citizens of the Year. By an 
overwhelming number of ballots cast, Clem and Nina Bartolai selected.

The announcement came as a complete surprise to the Bartolai’s at their home on Friday afternoon by Chamber Board 
Members Ed Chen, Susan Henderson and Carol Canterbury. The couple, who have resided in Sierra Madre for more than 
52 years, are well known for their community involvement including (but certainly not limited to), Clem’s service as a 
former Mayor and Nina’s chairmanship of the Senior Community Commission.

 The COTY award is granted to outstanding Sierra Madrean(s) who are the personification of the town’s spirit of 
volunteerism. The Chamber has bestowed this honor upon 52 citizens since 1966. Recent honorees include (partial listing) 
Dave Loera (2014), Joe and Jacquie Pergola (2013), Marlene Enmark (2012), Richard Mays (2011), Glenn and Amy Putnam 
(2010), Paul and Louise Nieby (2009), Angel Throop (2008), Pete Siberell (2007), Bud Switzer (2006), John 
Grijalva (2005), Hank Landsberg (2004), Rob Stockly (2003), Bill Messersmith (2002), Carol Canterbury (2001) 
and Marilyn McKernan (2000).

 The COTY dinner honoring Nina and Clem will be held on Saturday, January 30, 2016 in The Sierra Madre Room, 611 
E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, Ca. Reception at 6:00 p.m. - Dinner at 7:00. Tickets are $30 per person/Tables of 10 
$275.00.

 Established in 1946, the Sierra Madre Chamber’s Mission is: “To encourage a healthy business environment by advancing, 
promoting and supporting the businesses serving Sierra Madre.” This includes providing a voice for local businesses when 
dealing with local government, creating networking opportunities monthly, supporting other non profit groups in town 
and sponsoring events such as the Wistaria Festival, Winter Festival and the Citizen of The Year, to help promote and 
brand the city of Sierra Madre. For more information, please contact the Chamber of Commerce at 626-355-5111 or visit 
the Chamber;s website at www.sierramadrechamber.com. MVNews

Surprise - Surprise! Nina and Clem Bartolai (center) had no idea of the surprise awaiting them when they 
opened the door on Friday. SMCC Board Members Ed Chen on their left and Carol Canterbury on the right

along with Susan Henderson (Photographer) made the announcement.

 

SHEN YUN RETURNS WITH ALL NEW DANCE SPECTACULAR 

CALENDAR Pg. 2

Shen Yun Performing Arts presents a 
bold and high-energy new production in 
Southern California with six engagements in 
downtown Los Angeles, Long Beach, Costa 
Mesa, Thousand Oaks, Northridge, and for 
the first time, Claremont, CA. 

 The gong strikes and a journey across five 
millennia begins. From the mist, 60 dancers 
clad in traditional costumes emerge in front 
of a 30-foot tall video backdrop that morphs 
from the mountains of Tibet to the sprawling 
plains of Mongolia and points in between. A 
40-piece orchestra rises with the sounds of 
western and ancient eastern instruments. 
The all-new spectacular Shen Yun 2016 tells 
the banned in Communist China stories of 
when heroes split mountains and swam with 
dragons, when divine beings walked the 
earth and when dynasties ruled supreme. 

 Since 2007, more than five million people 
in 30 countries on four continents have 
enjoyed Shun Yun. In 2015, the show sold out 
all 21 performances in the Los Angeles area. 
Each year a new production is created and 
five touring companies travel the globe.

 “Shen Yun performs the essence of 
Chinese culture and the historical figures 
who have been nurtured by it,” says H. Sue 
Gao, Vice President of Shen Yun’s training 
school, Fei Tian College. “Shen Yun is using 
classical Chinese dance to present this 
culture on the world stage.” 

 Cherished stories from China’s 5,000-year 
history like the tales of the heroine Mulan 
and General Yue Fei are told through large 
scale dance numbers featuring authentically 
detailed period costumes. The vibrant video 
backdrop transports audiences through time 
to ancient dynasties such as the Tang and the 
Qin, to the mountains of Tibet, the shores 
of a Dai village and the sprawling plains 
of Mongolia. The interactive video allows 
dancers to jump in and out of the screen 
delighting the audience. 

 In “The Fable of the Magic Brush,” a 
rescued maiden bestows a magic brush upon 
her savior that transforms anything he paints 
into reality. When the savior paints on the 
video screen, the object becomes a cartoon 
in motion. Ultimately the maiden and 
savior jump into an ocean on screen where 
they become animated figures swimming 
underwater and flying in the skies. 

 The Shen Yun 
Orchestra combines 
the spirit, beauty 
and distinctiveness 
of Chinese music 
with the precision, 
power and grandeur 
of the Western 
symphony orchestra. 
Traditional 
instruments are 
combined with 
the 5,000 year 
old pipa and erhu 
resulting in two 
glorious traditions 
melding into one 
refreshing sound. 
Top composers from 
around the world 
create original music 
for each production. 
Bel canto 
soloists perform 
impassioned songs 
throughout the 
show. 

 Over 5,000 years the traditions of martial 
arts, Chinese opera, folk dancing and 
acrobatics have linked to form traditional 
Chinese dance. Known for its incredible flips 
and spins, and its gentle elegance, classical 
Chinese dance is one of the most rigorous 
and expressive art forms in the world.

 China was once known as the Divine 
Land where deities and mortals coexisted 
peacefully. The culture of the Buddhist, Taoist 
and other disciplines along with calligraphy, 
music, medicine, attire and dance was said 
to be a gift from the heavens. Today, the 
Communist regime treats traditional ideas 
of harmony between heaven and earth as 
a threat to its existence. The stories once 
handed down from generation to generation 
are now forbidden in China. 

SHOW DETAILS SHEN YUN 2016

Presented by Shen Yun Performing Arts

Tickets go on sale October 2, 2015 for $60 
- $200 and are available by calling 800-880-
0188, or in person at the each theater’s box 
office. More information is available at www.
shenyun.com.

Terrace Theater Long Beach, CA 90802

Saturday, March 19 – 2:00pm and 7:30pm

Sunday, March 20 – 1:00pm 

Thousand Oaks Civis Arts Plaza
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362

Tuesday, March 22 – 7:30pm

Wednesday, March 23 – 2:00pm and 7:30pm

Bridges Auditorium at Pomona City College

Friday, April 8 – 8:00pm

Saturday, April 9 – 2:00pm and 7:30pm

Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Tuesday, April 12, Wednesday, April 13, and 
Friday, April 15 – 7:30pm

Thursday, April 14 – 2:00pm

Saturday, April 16 – 2:00pm and 7:30pm

Sunday, April 17 – 1:00pm

 

Valley Performing Arts Center at California 
State University, Northridge 

Tuesday, April 19 – 7:30pm

Wednesday, April 20 – 2:00pm and 7:30pm

Microsoft Theater (formerly Nokia Theatre 
L.A. Live)

Saturday, April 23 – 2:00pm and 7:30pm

Sunday, April 24 – 1:00pm and 6:00pm

ABOUT SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS

In 2006, a group of leading classical Chinese 
artists came together in New York with one 
wish: to revive the true, divinely inspired 
culture of China and share it with the world. 
Entirely nonprofit and independent of the 
Chinese regime, Shen Yun Performing 
Arts enjoys the artistic freedom of New 
York, enabling it to now bring these 
ancient traditions to the stage. Shen Yun 
and its mission have drawn top talent from 
around the world; many artists are winners 
of international competitions in dance, 
choreography, and music. The five companies 
travel six months of the year, performing in 
more than 30 countries on four continents. 
To date, millions have seen a Shen Yun 
show. For more information on Shen Yun 
Performing Arts, visit www.shenyun.com or 
the company’s Youtube page at https://www.
youtube.com/user/ShenYunTV.


SIERRA MADRE NEWS

 Pg. 3

MAKING OF THE 

FLOAT Pg. 5

PASADENA/ALTADENA

 Pg. 6

ARCADIA NEWS Pg. 7 
MONROVIA/DUARTE Pg. 7

MISCELLANY

 Pg. 8

BEST FRIENDS

 Pg. 9

HEALTHY & WEALTH

 Pg. 10

THE GOOD LIFE

 Pg. 11

FOOD & ARTS

 Pg. 12

THE WORLD AROUND US

 Pg. 13

OPINION

 Pg. 14

LEGAL

NOTICES Pg. 15

F.Y.I. Pg. 18