Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, April 8, 2017

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Mountain View News Saturday, April 8, 2017 

EDITORIAL - SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

CODE ENFORCEMENT EFFORT RATTLES RESIDENTS

H. SUSAN HENDERSON

It’s been a while since Sierra Madre had a Code 
Enforcement Officer, in fact the position has technically 
been vacant since the retirement of SMPD Code 
Enforcement Officer Lisa Volpe in 2013. However recent 
enforcement efforts by the city’s latest CEO, Greg Silva, 
have raised the ire of several businesses and residents. 
Silva, who was appointed last year came to a city where 
for almost three years there was no one to remind some 
residents and businesses what was required of them.

 Some of the businesses that have upgraded their signage 
to keep up with marketing trends have received citations 
as did several businesses that had ‘sidewalk sandwich 
boards’. However, the most controversial action was due 
to Silva’s attempt to confirm that an unlicensed business 
was operating in town. In that instance, the business, 
which had one or more vehicles advertising the business 
were parked in a residential driveway. Silva noticed 
the vehicles as he was leaving from another unlicensed 
business situation.

 According to Silva and actually confirmed by the 
business/homeowner, Silva knocked on the door and 
did not receive a response. He then walked along the 
driveway, past the vehicles looking for any workers 
associated with the company. Silva indicated he thought 
that the company was working on the residence and 
wanted them to secure the necessary permits. He 
acknowledged looking into the window for any sign of the 
workers. Finding none, he called the number on the van 
and the owner answered and was aware of Silva’s presence 
at the location because he had received a call from the 
man’s children (one of whom was 17), who were home 
on spring break and called their dad because they didn’t 
know who the stranger was at the door. 

As it turns out, it was a home-based business that was 
operating without a license. The owner, who stated that 
he has lived in Sierra Madre for 38 years and operated the 
business for 20, did not know that as a resident he was 
required to have a license for his home based business. 
No citation was issued and he has since obtained a 
business permit.

 While that incident shows some of the challenges in 
actually trying to enforce the city’s laws, it also highlights 
how much need to know exactly what is required of them.

What is code enforcement?

 Code Enforcement efforts are concerned with safety, 
welfare and the esthetics of our community. By using 
the Sierra Madre Municipal Codes as a guide, residents 
can easily see what types of conditions are considered 
unacceptable. 

 Code Enforcement works with the Planning 
Department, Police Department, Public Works and 
Community Services as well as several outside agencies 
such as the LA County Health Department, Adult Services, 
San Gabriel Valley Vector Control. We coordinate with 
these agencies to provide a safe and desirable living and 
working environments. According to the city’s website, 
“Enforcement officers may issue notices of violation 
and administrative citations, inspect public and private 
property, and use whatever judicial and administrative 
remedies are available under this code and other law to 
enforce the ordinances of the city. Enforcement officers 
are authorized to enter upon any property or premises 
within the city to ascertain whether code violations exist, 
and to make any examination and surveys as may be 
necessary in the performance of their enforcement duties, 
in accordance with Fourth Amendment of United States 
Constitution and the related protections of the California 
Constitution. These inspections may include the taking 
of photographs, samples, or other physical evidence. All 
inspection, entries, examinations and surveys shall be 
performed reasonably and in accordance with law. If an 
owner or occupant or property or his or her agent refuses 
to consent to entry and inspection, an enforcement officer 
may seek an administrative inspection warrant pursuant 
to law.”, and that is something many residents are really 
not aware of or feel is unfair.

Are you guilty?

 The typical violation usually comes from failure to 
comply with the city’s water conservation efforts or for 
business, failure to apply for permits. Other issues include:

 Keep all landscaping neatly manicured and free of 
dead, dry vegetation and weed growth.

 Keep your property free of standing/ stagnant water.

 Ensure that irrigation systems do not waste water by 
spraying water onto streets and sidewalks.

 Minimize outside storage of household items, trash and 
discards. These things should be stored out of public view.

Do not store inoperative vehicles in public view.

 Maintain the exterior of your home and accessory 
structures to avoid damage by the elements.

 Abide by the California Building Code and submit 
plans and obtain permits prior to commencing any 
home improvement projects such as remodels, repairs or 
additions.

Remodeling? 

According to the City, projects requiring authorization 
include:

• New Additions to primary residences.

• New/ upgraded plumbing and fixtures

• New/ upgraded electrical systems.

• New roofs, windows, building alterations

• Detached structures in excess of 120 square feet.

 Doing Business in Sierra Madre? License Required! 

 Brick and Mortar or Home Based, a business license is 
required annually. Home Based Businesses need a special 
“Home Occupation Permit” and must be approved by 
the Planning Department. 

Contractors - (general builders, plumbers, electricians, 
handyman, gardeners, painters, installers, pool cleaners, 
tree trimmers, realtor companies, property management 
companies, investment properties), must have city 
business license. 

 Prior to Silva’s appointment, the position was under 
the auspices of the police department. Now it is part 
of the city’s Planning and Community Preservation 
Department. In addition to code enforcement, the 
department also oversees Planning and Zoning, Building 
and Safety and Filming.

 

 For more information, go to the city’s website: http://
www.cityofsierramadre.com where you can also apply for 
the appropriate license if needed.

S. Henderson/MVNews


IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE

Relax, this is not about 
Washington, Sacramento 
or even LA County. This 
is about change right here 
in Sierra Madre. Change 
at home.

 No one who has a clue 
would say that things are 
perfect in our pristine 
Village, but it is far 
removed from some of the major problems that 
plague other cities. As of this writing, we don’t 
have a ‘gang’ problem, we don’t have a ‘homeless’ 
population to help, we don’t have issues of political 
corruption that we know of. For the most part, 
Sierra Madre is the poster child of what small 
town, idyllic America is all about. The issues that 
we find most disturbing are mostly inflicted upon 
us by outside forces, for instance, the increase in 
burglaries. But even with that we have our own 
very competent Police Department to deal with 
that.

 No, those aren’t the things we need to change. 
We have the whole ‘small town ambiance’ thing 
down pat. At least for now.

 What needs to change is our lack of attention 
to preserving Sierra Madre as it is. For as long as 
I can remember, we have been reactive rather than 
proactive as far as maintaining our small town.

We don’t think about anything until there is a 
problem. For instance, the Henry A. Darling 
House situation. A few years ago the property 
was purchased and the new owners attempted to 
remodel as they felt was their right to do. Bam! 
They ran into a brick wall when they found out 
that the property really had historical value to the 
city and the general population had no desire to 
see the property altered. So, they sold the property 
and moved their family far away. The next buyer, 
who we presume was aware of the previous 
owner’s dilemma, attempted to work with the city 
to correct the structural flaws and yet retain the 
property’s historical value. Bam! Another brick 
wall. Loose ends that had never been tied up have 
created, in this author’s opinion, a situation that 
upon resolution will probably satisfy the city and 
the owners, but will not address the larger, more 
permanent problem.

 And that Is what needs to change.

The preservation of Sierra Madre as a safe, family 
friendly, environmentally friendly, wildlife 
friendly, community that values its history, has 
got to become top priority to every resident, every 
employee, every elected official in this town.

 It’s not enough to move to town and embrace 
all the good Sierra Madre has to offer without 
becoming involved in the activities and things 
that make it that way.

 It’s not enough to sit back and complain about 
what is going wrong without doing something to 
make it right. 

 And, most importantly, it is not enough to 
keep putting band aids on problems every time a 
hemorrhage starts to emerge.

 In order to preserve Sierra Madre, we have to be 
PROACTIVE! And that starts with our leadership.

Don’t get me wrong, our current Mayor and 
Council have been the most productive and civil 
groups in the last 15 years. The fires that have 
been before them, like the Utility Users Tax, were 
handled professionally and kept the town from 
coming apart at the seams. But…..We have to do 
more. 

 For example, earlier in this article, I mentioned 
the dilemma of the Darling house as a historical 
property in Sierra Madre. I believe that whatever 
can be done to appease both parties will be done, 
but we must put into place the necessary codes 
and ordinances to prevent a recurrence. Why 
not commission a professional survey of all the 
historical and potentially historic homes in Sierra 
Madre so that as the ownership changes, the new 
buyers are aware of what they have purchased? In 
addition, why not include in the city’s Municipal 
Code a requirement that realtors disclose to 
buyers that the home is on the City’s Historical (or 
potentially historical*) Homes list? By so doing, 
Sierra Madre would save thousands in staff time 
and legal fees. Both the SM Historical Preservation 
Society (www.smhps.org/) and Preserve Sierra 
Madre (www.preservesierramadre.com/) would 
no doubt embrace those efforts as they continue 
their activities.

 And wait, there is more. This one has been 
a pet peeve of mine since I attended the city 
council reorganization in 2004. WHY DON’T 
WE INCLUDE A PLEDGE TO THE CITY OF 
SIERRA MADRE IN THE OATH OF OFFICE 
FOR ALL CITY OFFICIALS?

 Our city leaders take an oath to uphold the 
U.S. Constitution and the State of California 
Constitution but there is nothing in the oath that 
binds them to upholding the Charter of the City 
of Sierra Madre or its Municipal Code and related 
laws. Can we add such language to the Oath so 
that our leaders are reminded of their public 
pledge that in their every action, Sierra Madre and 
its preservation is their No. 1 priority? Perhaps 
that would inspire current and future leaders to 
remember what their real job is….to Protect and 
Preserve the City and Residents of Sierra Madre. 

That may appear to be a seemingly small gesture, 
but it is the kind of lasting change that we need!

*potentially historic: This phrase is used to include 
those homes that were previously designated as 
Historical landmarks and could in fact become 
landmarks again, and those homes that were never 
on any registry but are identified as historical 
structures.

COYOTE SLAUGHTER CANCELED 
AFTER PETA FILES LAWSUIT

SIERRA MADRE POLICE BLOTTER

Arcadia, Calif. — In response to a lawsuit filed by PETA 
and Arcadia resident Sarah Rosenberg, the Arcadia City 
Council voted on Tuesday to rescind its prior resolution 
to use cruel neck and leg snares to trap coyotes and then 
kill them.In the lawsuit, PETA alleged that because the city 
council voted to approve the plan on February 21 without 
first considering the impact on the environment, which 
is required under the California Environmental Quality 
Act, its decision was illegal.

 “Coyotes are an important part of the ecosystem, and 
we have to learn to live alongside them in peace,” says 
PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange. “The Arcadia 
City Council’s decision to rescind its cruel extermination 
plan should make other California municipalities think 
twice before delivering a death sentence to coyotes and 
their orphaned pups.”

 As PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals 
are not ours to abuse in any way”—pointed out to the 
mayor and city council, coyotes suffer when caught in 
painful snares, which could also indiscriminately harm 
companion animals and nontarget wildlife. The vast 
majority of city council meeting attendees opposed the 
plan to slaughter “nature’s dogs,” who are an integral part 
of California’s ecosystem. In addition to eating vegetables 
and fruits, as predators, they help keep populations of 
smaller animals such as squirrels and rats in check.

 Nonlethal means of living together with coyotes include 
informing the public about deterring them through 
habitat modification and repellents as well as strictly 
prohibiting feeding wildlife. It’s also important to ensure 
that companion animals are supervised and cats are kept 
indoors.

 For more information, please visit PETA.org.

During this time period, the Sierra Madre Police 
Department responded to approximately 2 94 day 
and night time calls for service. 

Tuesday, March 28 

A residential burglary occurred between March 
15, 2017, 1900 hours and March 28, 2017, 1200 
hours. The unknown suspect(s) forcefully entered 
the residence by shattering a glass window 
located in the southeast corner of the residence 
that leads into the kitchen. The home in the 600 
block of Camillo St., was ransacked and a number 
of personal items, and an unknown amount of 
loose change were confirmed to have been taken. 
Unknown at this time what additional property 
was taken. Case referred to Detectives 

Thursday, March 30 

An auto burglary occurred in the 400 block of 
Santa Anita Court. The suspect(s) smashed the 
left rear window of the vehicle camper shell to 
gain entry. The total loss value was $4150.00. This 
case referred to Detectives. 

 NOTE: Several citations were issued within this 
time period for unlicensed drivers and/or driving 
without a license, a few resulting in impounding 
of the driver’s vehicle. A reminder to be aware 
of the expiration date of your California driver’s 
license and vehicle registration tags. 

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING 

4TH OF JULY GRAND 
MARSHAL NOMINATIONS

The Volunteer Sierra Madre 4th of July 
Committee is seeking nominations for the 2017 
4th of July Parade Grand Marshal. The Parade 
will be held as always the morning of July 4th. 

 Parade Grand Marshal Nominees should 
embody the spirit of Sierra Madre, be an 
active volunteer in any of the local nonprofit 
organizations or in some way contributed to the 
betterment of Sierra Madre. Nominees may be 
an individual or volunteers or an organization. 

 Nominations must be submitted in writing 
by Thursday, April 27th and should be 
sent to the 4th of July Committee, PO Box 
1073 Sierra Madre CA 91025 or emailed to 
4thofjulysierramadre@gmail.com. Nominations 
should be no more than 1 page but at least a 
paragraph explaining why the honor should be 
given including contributions to the Sierra Madre 
community. 

 Previous Grand Marshals have included 
2016 Pete Siberell and Hometown Hero Kris 
Lowe, 2015 Clem and Nina Bartolai, 2014 Pat & 
DeAlcorn (partial listing) This All-American 
friends and family event is made possible through 
the wonderful contribution of donors and 
sponsors. If you’d like to help please visit http://
sierramadre4thofjuly.com. 

Walking Sierra 
Madre…The Social 
Side 

by Deanne Davis


From the Editor: Congratulations John and Deanne!

“There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.”

R. Buckminster Fuller

“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls a butterfly.”

Richard Bach

There was an intriguing article in the Los Angeles Times last Monday 
entitled: “Coming: an inundation of insects.” “Heavy winter precipitation 
has fueled plant growth not seen since at least 2005 and that in turn 
should produce bumper crops of butterflies, moths, beetles, mosquitoes 
and even subterranean termites!” Well! One day last week I was out in 
back of the house watering when my eye caught movement. A large 
caterpillar was inching its way up the back of our house. Looking further, 
I was aghast to see a whole bunch of caterpillars inching their way up 
the house, their destination being the roof, where they were intent on 
turning themselves into cocoons and dangling off our eaves. Quite 
frankly, I was horrified as I had never seen this happening before in all 
the 47 years we’ve lived here. And they only want to be on the back of the 
house, sheltered from wind, I guess, with lots of sun exposure. I promptly 
texted my son-in-law, Chuck, arborist, champion herb/tomato/rose 
grower and part-time lepidopterist, sending along a picture of one of 
these guys, two inches long with black spines topped with red spots and 
said something along the lines of, “AAACCCKKK!!” What is this!!” He 
sent me pictures back of Red Admiral butterflies and said most likely that 
is what my caterpillars will be when they emerge. Well, OK! I’m good 
with running a butterfly hatchery.

 A couple of things coming up you won’t want to miss: The Library’s 
used book sale is today and you can still get tickets for the Art of the 
Garden tour, Sunday, April 23rd. Self-guided tour of five fantastic 
gardens in the foothill communities. Stop by Creative Arts on Baldwin 
to pick up your tickets. 

 The picture here is of me and my best friend and Walking Sierra 
Madre buddy, John, who laughs at my humor, likes my cooking and 
tells me every week that he liked my column. We celebrated our 50th 
wedding anniversary on April 1st and spent the day at daughter, Patti, 
and son-in-law, Dave’s house visiting with lots of family, some very dear 
friends, and a lot of reminiscing. There was cake, there was a taco guy, 
there was champagne, and about a million pictures were taken. I actually 
like some of them.

As this is something that doesn’t happen every day of the week, I thought 
I’d talk about it a little bit. The day we were married, it poured. Buckets! 
There is an old wives tale which says that if it rains on her wedding day, 
the bride will not shed many tears during her marriage. This proved to 
be true as I have laughed way more than I’ve cried.

 In these fifty years, we have successfully raised four amazing children, 
none of whom live with us, who have given us 13 fabulous grandchildren 
and 5 great-grandchildren. We have survived the building of, running 
of and sale of a radio station in the desert without losing our collective 
shirts or sanity. We have had so much fun, laughed so much, been to 
beautiful places together, and made delightful friends along the way, 
many of them Sierra Madreans. We have shared all that there is in life: 
joy, sorrow, laughter, tears, death, birth, pleasure, misery, poverty and not 
quite so poverty, pride in our children and other times, not so much; and 
always we have had each other to hold on to. Fifty years has flown with 
the speed of light! To quote one of our favorite singers, Kate Wolfe, “Who 
knows where the time goes...who knows where the time goes.”

 If you’ve married the right person, one who appreciates you and likes 
that you love to garden, is proud of everything you write; books, Kindle 
novelettes, blogs, newspaper columns; never gets annoyed or rolls his 
eyes when you endlessly point out sunrises, sunsets and flowers, and is 
ready to go out to dinner any time you say, “Let’s go out!” Will go to 
movies you pick without complaining...too much, and will hug you and 
hold you when you’re hurting, without telling you how to fix it, you’ll be 
happy. I know I certainly have been, and am looking forward to the next 
fifty years! 

 “A Tablespoon of Love, A Tablespoon of Laughter” is now available at Sunrise 
Books + Coffee at Pasadena First Church of the Nazarene on Sierra Madre Blvd. 
Kindle readers, give yourself the gift of: 

The Crown – An Easter Story It’s on Amazon.com on my book page!


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