SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2016

VOLUME 10 NO. 21

VFW 3208 SPONSORS 
MEMORIAL DAY HONORS 

Sierra Madre Harry L. Embree VFW Post 3208 invites patriots, 
families and friends to attend our Memorial Day Ceremony honoring 
our deceased War Veterans at Sierra Madre Pioneer Cemetery, 
Monday, May 30 at 11:00 A.M. Please arrive early to get a seat. In 
recent years, the ceremony has attracted standing-room only crowds. 
A sandwich lunch will be served following the ceremony, courtesy 
of Post 3208. Patriotic and WW II music will be played before and 
after the ceremony. Guest speakers and/or participants will include 
CA VFW 4th District Commander Dave Loera, keynote speaker 
former Mayor and City Councilwoman MaryAnn MacGillivray, 
Congresswoman Judy Chu, CA State Assemblyman Chris Holden, 
and other past and current officials. We hope to see many of you 
there. Thank you for your continued support and interest! God bless 
America! 


LEW WATANABE, 83, RENOWNED LANDSCAPE 
ARCHITECT DIES

Lew Watanabe, beloved ‘Goodwill Ambassador’ 
and true friend of the Sierra Madre community, 
died on Thursday morning after a difficult battle 
with pancreatic cancer. At the time of this death, 
his home was in Wildomar with his wife Joyce.

Watanabe was best known for his commitment 
to change the world by leaving lasting symbols of 
peace and tranquilty. In a 1991 LA Times article he 
is quoted as saying, “I went from a landscaper to an 
artist”. His work was described as creating ‘little 
gardens of Eden’.

One of his beloved creations is the Goodwill 
Garden at Sierra Madre School. Several years ago, 
Mountain Views News contributor, Chris Bertrand 
wrote of Watanabe’s restoration of the garden after it 
was destroyed by vandals. A plaque created in 1995 
reads, “This garden was created in 1931 by grateful 
parents of Japanese-American students. It was 
destroyed by vandals during WW II as the caretakers were taken away to internment camps. 
It lay buried for 50 years. In 1995, it was rediscovered and restored by the efforts of the sixth 
grade class of 1995 and Lew Watanabe (A true ambassador of goodwill) in hopes of healing 
the wounds of war. PEACE ON EARTH, GOODWILL TO ALL. (http://mtnviewsnews.
com/v04/htm/n15/p11.htm).

In December 2013, he created and donated his work, “Antiquity”, a fountain, to Creative 
Arts Group on North Baldwin. The gift was in honor of the 34 years of service retiring 
CAG Executive Director Jacki Raymond had given to the community. In 1989 Lew won the 
sweepstakes award at the LA County Arboretum. 

 

 The recipient of numerous books, awards and honors. In 1989 Lew won the sweepstakes 
award at the LA County Arboretum. In 1996 he was Sierra Madre Citizen of the Year. In 1999 
he donated a granite sculpture to the City of Sierra Madre. This sculpture called “the weeping 
wall” and is located in Memorial Park. In 2010 he was Grand Marshall in the Sierra Madre 
4th of July parade. (Partial listing)

 Watanabe will be greatly missed and yet his life will live on through his many works of art. 

 Photos Courtesy Creative Arts Group


SIERRA MADRE SEARCH AND 
RESCUE LOG

With warming weather and many of our schools preparing to end 
the school year, the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team is gearing 
up for the summer hiking season. The month of April saw the Team 
responding to six search and rescue calls. While not a particularly high 
volume of calls, the calls allowed the Team to provide assistance to 18 
individuals. 

 65th Anniversary Open House - Sierra Madre: On Saturday, May 
21st, the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team will be celebrating 
the 65th Anniversary of the Team. Part of the anniversary events will 
include an open house at the Team’s rescue station at 1901 Stonehouse 
Road in Sierra Madre. The event will start at 12 noon and run until 4 
p.m. in the afternoon. The event will include: 

 Demonstrations of various search and rescue techniques and 
equipment

Preventative Search and Rescue (PSAR) programs for all ages including 
the nationally recognized Hug-A-Tree program designed to help kids 
(and adults!) understand what to do in case they are ever lost in the 
mountains

Displays of Team history and memorabilia

 Opportunities to meet Team members and learn more about what 
we do.

A BBQ

Live music 

We look forward to seeing you at the event on Saturday the 21st!

 For 65 years the all-volunteer Sierra Madre Search and Rescue 
team has been responding to calls for help in the local mountains and 
beyond. Funded entirely by private donations, SMSR provides a range 
of public programs on wilderness safety in addition to its search and 
rescue activities. The Team never charges for any of its services. 

 For more information, including how to arrange a wilderness safety 
demonstration for your school or group, visit www.smsr.org.


INPUT WANTED FOR SIERRA MADRE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES 
ACT (ADA) TRANSITION PLAN AND SELF-EVALUATION

Sierra Madre, CA. May 20, 2016 – The City of Sierra Madre, in keeping 
with its ongoing efforts to serve all members of the community, is 
updating its Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) transition plan and 
self-evaluation. The accessibility plan provides a comprehensive plan for 
access for individuals with disabilities to City facilities, parks, programs, 
services, activities and events. 

 The City of Sierra Madre is seeking input from agencies, organizations 
and individuals with disabilities. As an agency, organization or individual, 
the value of stakeholder guidance will help to address and prioritize 
current and future needs. Individuals who would like to provide input 
are invited to complete a survey, call or email the ADA Coordinator. 
Surveys are available for organizations that represent individuals with 
disabilities, patrons, community members, employees, and other 
interested individuals who wish to participate in the evaluation. 

 Your comments and opinions are important to us and will provide 
valuable information regarding how the City of Sierra Madre can better 
serve individuals with disabilities. Surveys are available from the City’s 
ADA Coordinator.

CIVIC CLUB PRESENTS EDUCATIONAL AWARDS 
AND PHILANTHROPY GRANTS


On April 2 O’Malley Hall at St. Rita 
Church was turned into a 1920s dance 
hall when the theme of the Sierra 
Madre Civic Club’s major fundraiser 
was “All That Jazz”. More than two 
hundred fifty members and friends 
enjoyed a delicious luncheon, placed 
silent auction bids, bought tickets for 
opportunity drawings, and participated 
in a sometimes hilarious Chinese 
auction. The luncheon, in addition to 
selling confetti eggs on the Fourth of 
July, Civic Club Shoppe sales, our booth 
at the City’s Yard Sale, and Eat Out 
evenings raised thousands of dollars 
this Club year.

 Civic Club’s May general meeting 
was what has become one of members’ 
favorite meetings because that’s the 
time when we give away the money 
we’ve worked all year to raise. On May 
12 the Educational Awards Committee 
introduced twelve exceptional local high school seniors 
who were receiving awards for outstanding scholarship 
and community service. Honorees included Ruby Baer, 
Jordan Rupp, Chance Woods, Connor Bent, Cameron 
Martinez, Samantha Carter, Anita Velazquez, Alexander 
Gallagher, Lauren Savo, Anora Denison, Zachary Damir 
and Emma Goehle. That same evening the Philanthropy 
Committee announced that we’d raised $23,486 to 
fund the requests made by twenty-two local non-profit 
organizations. These organizations submit requests 
for funds for special projects and members vote to 
determine which requests are funded. Recipients of the 
philanthropy grants will receive their checks at the May 
24th City Council meeting. By evening’s end Civic Club 
had given away close to twenty-eight thousand dollars 
in educational awards and philanthropy grants amidst 
much clapping and laughter.

 Following the announcements of the educational 
awards recipients and the philanthropy grants, the 
2016-17 Civic Club Board was elected. The new officers 
are Karma Bell, president, Jean Coleman, first vice-
president, Marlene Enmark, second vice-president, 
Virginia Mullanely and AliceClark, co-third vice-
presidents, Meegan Tosh, recording secretary, Kari 
Jantzen, communications secretary, Darlene Traxler, 
treasurer, and Anita Thompson, parliamentarian. These 
officers will be installed at the Installation Dinner to be 
held at the Monrovian Restaurant on May 19.

 The Sierra Madre Civic Club is a civic and philanthropic 
organization. We meet the second Thursday of every 
month at 7:30 PM in the Hart Park House. 

WATER PENALTIES SET TO INCREASE

Sierra Madre, CA. – May 19, 2016 –This year’s El Niño 
rains have had a limited impact on our part of the 
state. Water conservation remains as critical as ever 
as California enters into its fifth year of drought. Sierra 
Madre City Council approved a measure earlier this 
month that would increase the penalty rate assessed on 
excess water use.

 The City of Sierra Madre would like to thank its water-
wise customers for doing their part to make every drop 
count. The latest water billing numbers for May show 
75% of Sierra Madre customers met, or outperformed, 
their water conservation targets. The remaining 25% of 
customers are of increasing concern for the City, as many 
of the customers who exceeded their water use target in 
the month have a repeat history of doing so.

 The City of Sierra Madre will introduce a new water 
penalty rate beginning on July 1, 2016. The rate will 
apply to each billing unit used in excess of a customer’s 
conservation target. The current penalty rate is $5.04/unit. 
The new rate will increase to $10.72, or two times the Tier 
4 rate.

 If you would like to learn more about conservation and 
water utility rates, please visit the City of Sierra Madre 
website at: www.cityofsierramadre.com.