Pasadena Raises Minimum Wage - Story on Page 6


SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2016

VOLUME 10 NO. 6


HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SIERRA MADRE’S 

AWARD WINNING SENIOR LIVING FACILITY


For years, the site of what is now known as 
‘The Kensington’ was an eyesore in the middle 
of Sierra Madre. Once the home of a skilled 
nursing facility and a hospital, the building sat 
boarded up for years while the property owners 
tried to find a buyer that would come up with 
a use that was compatible with the ambience 
of the town. 

 Finally, after months of discussions 
and community meetings, the Kensington 
developers presented a plan that was 
overwhelmingly approved by voters (77% 
of those voting approving) and complying 
with the conditions of the city’s downtown 
preservation ordinance, Measure V in 2012. 
Construction began in 2013 and the first 
residents moved into the facility in February, 
2015.

 As the physical impact of the new facility 
was of utmost concern to Sierra Madre 
residents, it is with great pride that on their 
first anniversary, the announcement that 
The National Association of Home Builders 
awarded The Kensington Sierra Madre a silver-
level award at the International Builders’ Show 
2016 Best of 55+ Housing Awards in Las Vegas.

 According to Tim McCarthy, chairman of 
NAHB’s 55+ Housing Industry Council, “the 
judges saw [among the finalists] wonderful 
examples of … innovative floor plans, 
universal design skillfully integrated into the 
home, communities with beautiful lifestyle 
amenities and homes located close to local 
shops, restaurants and parks.”

 The Kensington Sierra Madre was designed 
by architect HPI Architecture and interior 
designer Klang & Associates. Additional 
photographs of the Kensington architectural 
and interior features can be viewed on The 
Kensington Sierra Madre’s website photo 
gallery at www.thekensingtonsierramadre.
com. S. Henderson/MVNews


Then and Now: Above Kensington Senior Living Facility on W. Sierra Madre Blvd. 
Photo courtesy KSL Below: The old skilled nursing facility which was an eyesore and 
potential hazard inin the middle of town. Photo courtesy MVNews archives


ARCADIA POLICE HAVE HANDS FULL - SIERRA 
MADRE MAY CONSIDER OTHER OPTIONS

 On Tuesday, the Arcadia City 
Council declined Sierra Madre’s 
request for Arcadia to temporarily 
provide additional police services. 
Although the proposal had 
the support of the Arcadia Police 
Chief, the council felt that with 
the recent increase in residential 
burglaries, especially in Northern 
Arcadia, that adding the responsibility 
of patrolling Sierra 
Madre would be too much.

 Sierra Madre Mayor John 
Capoccia, as reported in the 
Pasadena Star News is quoted as 
saying that the city will look for 
other options. In the article, he 
did not rule out the possibility 
of a temporary contract with the 
LA County Sheriff’s Department, 
something that many residents 
are passionately against.

As reported in the Mountain 
Views News last week, a void has 
been created in the department 
with the retirement of three officers 
on December 31st and 
several other officers leaving because 
of the city’s financial situation 
should the Utility User Tax 
measure not pass in April.

Earlier Tuesday, Public Safety 
Director Larry Gianonne told 
members of the Sierra Madre 
Kiwanis Club that although the 
department (SMPD) was critically 
shorthanded, they were still 
able to provide 24/7 police support 
to the community. He also 
stated that recruitment efforts 
are ongoing.

“We’re good for right now,” 
Capoccia said. “We don’t have 
an issue today but if we lose 
more officers, we may have more 
problems.”, a sentiment thatGianonne 
also expressed.

Related - Letters To The Editor

Pg. 19

 

CALENDAR Pg. 2

SIERRA MADRE NEWS

 Pg. 3

AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY Pg. 5

PASADENA/ALTADENA

 Pg. 6

ARCADIA NEWS Pg. 7 
MONROVIA/DUARTE Pg. 7

STOP SIGN INSTALLED 

In response to residents near the intersection of E. Highland and North Mountain Trail in Sierra 
Madre, the Public Works staff has installed the four-way stop sign. The installation included stop ahead 
signage and pavement markings, along with removal of interfering crosswalk warning signs. 

EDUCATION & YOUTH

 Pg. 8

STATE CONTINUES CONSERVATION REGULATIONS 

BEST FRIENDS

 Pg. 9

SACRAMENTO – With California 
still experiencing severe 
drought despite recent rains, 
the State Water Resources Control 
Board (State Water Board) 
today [February 2, 2016] adopted 
an extended and revised 
emergency regulation to ensure 
that urban water conservation 
continues in 2016. 


The regulation extends restrictions 
on urban water use 
through October 2016 while 
providing urban water suppliers 
more flexibility in meeting their 
conservation requirements. It 
also directs staff to report back 
on additional flexibility once 
more complete water supply 
information is known in April. 
The action follows Governor 
Edmund G. Brown Jr.’s Nov. 
13, 2015, Executive Order directing 
the State Water Board 
to extend the emergency water 
conservation regulation 
should drought conditions 
persist through January 2016. 


“After four years of extreme 
drought, there is still a need for 
Californians to keep up their 
stellar conservation practices,” 
said Felicia Marcus, chair of the 
State Water Resources Control 
Board. “This updated regulation 
acknowledges that need, while 
making adjustments in response 
to feedback from water suppliers 
and others. If we continue 
to receive a lot of rain and snow 
in February and March, we may 
scale back the conservation requirements 
further, drop them, 
or move to another approach.” 


Under the revised regulation, 
statewide water conservation is 
expected to exceed 20 percent 
compared to 2013 water use. 
The revised regulation responds 
to calls for greater consideration 
of certain factors that influence 
water use in different parts of 
the state, including hotter-than-
average climate, population 
growth, and significant investments 
in new local, drought resilient 
water sources such as wastewater 
reuse and desalination. 


Due to the severity of the water 
deficits over the past four years, 
many of California’s reservoirs 
and groundwater basins remain 
depleted, and the need for continued 
water conservation persists. 
Today’s action serves as 
the fourth iteration of the emergency 
regulation since the State 
Water Board first instituted 
statewide conservation requirements 
in July 2014. 

HEALTHY & FOOD

 Pg. 10

THE GOOD LIFE

 Pg. 11

THE ARTS

 Pg. 12

BUSINES NEWS & TRENDS

 Pg. 13

THE WORLD AROUND US

 Pg. 14

OPINION

 Pg. 15

LEGAL NOTICES 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 
Pg. 17/19