Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, April 29, 2017

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Mountain View News Saturday, April 29, 2017 

Walking Sierra Madre…The Social Side 

by Deanne Davis

RACHELLE ARIZMENDI 
SWORN IN AS MAYOR

“Think what a better world it would be if we all, the 
whole world, had oatmeal cookies and milk about 
three o’clock every afternoon, and then lay down on 
our blankets for a nap.” Robert Fulghum

“Today me will live in the moment, unless it’s 
unpleasant, in which case, me will eat an oatmeal 
cookie.” Cookie Monster

Think back...when was the last time you got down 
that big round box of Quaker Oats and made Oatmeal 
Raisin Cookies? For me, it’s been quite a while, but 
I have to report that time has not glorified them in 
my imagination; they are still absolutely delicious, 
especially if you throw in a handful of dried cranberries 
and a bunch of pecan pieces. The recipe is to be found 
inside the lid of the box and you’ll enjoy every single 
one of them.... trust me! The picture is the Quaker 
Oats box and a bunch of roses behind it, which are so 
incredibly beautiful I couldn’t help myself. I know you 
can’t see color, but they are pink, orange, purple and 
simply exquisite.

 Speaking of exquisite, that’s pretty much what it’s 
been Walking Sierra Madre the last few days. There are 
bearded Iris everywhere, some folks up on Sturtevant 
have Amaryllis growing outside their front wall. 
Amaryllis in April? Seriously? Azaleas are doing their 
best to be so covered with blossoms that you can’t see 
the branches at all. One of the folks up in the Canyon 
is growing artichokes again. We’ve watched these 
lovely globes appear, year after year, grow to maturity 
and then the choke part flowers out and nobody ever 
cuts them and eats them, which causes me pain. I love 
artichokes. My Dad grew them and we cut and ate 
his. Mine all come from Ralph’s, I’m sorry to say, as, 
like Sweet Peas, I never think of planting them at the 
right time, which, according to a lot of experts is in 
September.

 The giant pumpkin seeds are in down the street 
and we will be watching for leaves to start emerging. 
The cherry tomato my son-in-law, Chuck, gave me is 
doing splendidly, with several yellow blossoms. He 
also gave me a regular tomato which is now a foot and 
a half high with vibrant green branches and one yellow 
blossom. This one is so big and healthy I’m expecting a 
huge crop of enormous tomatoes. 

 Hope you’re looking up, dear friends and neighbors, 
the Jacarandas are starting to bloom. After all the rain, 
I’m expecting every street in town to sport a purple 
cloud of blossoms. Speaking of trees, we did have a 
couple of casualties from the drought: a mock cherry 
and a fig tree. Of course, I planted those fig trees in 
totally the wrong spot and I think this one died of sheer 
aggravation and annoyance. The avocado trees I was 
sure were goners have started putting out leaves, which 
I never expected. Gardening is such an adventure!

 One last word about caterpillars...and this really is 
the last word...those cocoons which were draped all 
over the back of our house, hanging from the roof 
two stories up are gone. No idea where they went, but 
they’ve all disappeared. One of those mysteries nature 
likes to serve up to us!

 Our lemon trees are covered with lemons and I’m 
really wanting to make some lemon bars. Maybe you’d 
like to, too. One of the joys of living where lemon trees 
abound is the ability to walk out the back door in 
your pajamas, pick three or four lemons, and, without 
further ado, make lemon bars. These are easy, don’t 
take long to make and you can enjoy them almost 
immediately. If you can force yourself to part with 
them, they are also a splendid treat to give. AND, if 
you haven’t fed your citrus trees yet, do it!

1/3 
cup 
butter 

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup flour

Beat butter with electric mixer on medium to high 
speed for 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup sugar; beat until 
combined. Beat in 1 cup flour until crumbly. Press 
mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 8-inch 
square baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 
minutes or until just golden.

Meanwhile, for filling:

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tb. Flour

2 Tb. Finely shredded lemon peel (more is good, lots 
more is better)

3 Tb. Lemon juice

1/4 tsp. baking powder

Whip eggs in same bowl you used for the crust. Add 
3/4 cup sugar, 2 Tb. Flour, lemon peel, lemon juice 
and baking powder. Beat 2 minutes or until combined. 
Pour filling over baked layer. Bake 20 minutes more or 
until lightly browned around edges and center is set. 
Sprinkle powdered sugar over top after it has cooled. 

I know, first cookies now Lemon Bars...I’m obviously 
not planning ahead for swimsuit shopping. Hey! Life is 
short...eat dessert first!

 My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis

Blog: www.authordeanne.com

“A Tablespoon of Love, A Tablespoon of Laughter” is 
now available at

Sunrise Books + Coffee at Pasadena First Church of 
the Nazarene –

just down the road on Sierra Madre Blvd.

Kindle readers, give yourself the gift of: 

Noah & The Unicorns...A Fanciful Tale! It’s on 
Amazon.com on my book page! 

Follow me on Twitter, too! https://twitter.com/@
playwrightdd


California State Treasurer John Chiang swears in Rachelle Arizmendi as Mayor, Below the full 
Council, l to r, John Harabedian, John Capoccia, Arizmendi, Gene Goss and Denise Delmar.

On Tuesday, the City of Sierra Madre held its annual 
reorganization meeting and elected Councilpersons 
Rachelle Arizmendi as Mayor and Denise Delmar 
as Mayor Pro Tem. 

California State Treasurer John Chiang administered 
the Oath of Office to both Arizmendi and Delmar, 
a change from the city's tradition of having elected 
officials sworn in by the city clerk. Chiang is a 
longtime associate of Arizmendi.

 First elected to the council in 2014 she is the 
first Filipino American to serve as Mayor. And, 
to add to the historic nature of the evening, when 
Councilwoman Delmar, was elected Mayor Pro 
Tem, it marks the first time in Sierra Madre's 100+ 
year history that two women will hold the town's 
top two leadership positions.

 Arizmendi accepted responsibility for her new 
position with a brief address to the residents of Sierra 
Madre. She began by sharing an encounter she had 
when she was first elected, “In April 2014, sometime 
after the election, I was doing my regular morning 
run routine when I stopped to say hi to a friend in 
town. Bob asked how I was doing, and I responded 
“Great, you know I’m getting sworn in on Tuesday!” 
Bob’s table mate, who I didn’t know, chimed in and 
said “Sworn-In?… Wow!… Are you getting your 
Citizenship?” It was so unexpected that I was thrown 
off a bit. I literally Laughed Out Loud. Well, to Bob’s 
friend… if you’re out 
there- “YES…I just 
got sworn in tonight 
to serve as the Mayor 
of Sierra Madre.”

She continued, 
“Although tonight 
is partly a night 
of celebration- it 
is important to 
understand that we 
are at the cusp of 
a very challenging 
year. Many issues 
are facing us at the 
National Level and 
the State Level- but 
even for us here in 
our own City of Sierra 
Madre. We will be 
faced with decisions 
that require bold action and where we can no longer 
operate “business as usual.”

 Among those in attendance were Former Sierra 
Madre Mayor Clem Bartolai, Pasadena Unified 
School District Board Member Larry Torres, 
Jason Pu, Council Member, San Gabriel, Kyle 
Miller, Council Member, La Habra Heights, 
Victor Manalo, Council Member, Artesia, 
Michael Caccioitti,Council Member, South 
Pasadena, Thomas Small, Council Member, 
Culver City, Mike Eng, Board of Trustees, Los 
Angeles Community Colleges District, Dr. Ross 
Selvidge, Board of Trustee, Pasadena City College
Thomas Wong, President, Board of Directors San 
Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District and Henry 
Lo, Board Member, Garvey School District (partial 
listing).

 Representatives from Assemblymember Chris 
Holden’s Office, State Senator Anthony Portantino’s 
Office and LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger 
Office presented the outgoing Mayor Gene Goss 
and the incoming Mayor with Certificates of 
Recognition. Mayor Goss also received a special 
plaque from the Sierra Madre Chamber of 
Commerce in appreciation for his support of the 
community and local businesses.

 A reception was held at the Hart Park House 
immediately following. 


SIERRA MADRE GARDEN CLUB 
PRESENTS: 

LIVING WITH 
MOUNTAIN LIONS

ICYMI: (In Case You Missed It)


You are invited to the Garden Club meeting on May 
8th to learn more about the plight of mountain lions 
in Los Angeles and the Santa Monica Mountains, 
and the quest to build the largest wildlife crossing 
in the world over the 101 Freeway to help save this 
population of cats from extinction. The program 
will include advice on how to be a good neighbor 
to a mountain lion and other wildlife in our area.

 Guest Speaker, Beth Pratt-Bergstrom, is 
California Director of the National Wildlife 
Federation. A lifelong advocate for wildlife, Beth 
has worked in two of the country’s largest national 
parks, Yosemite and Yellowstone. Her conservation 
work has been featured in numerous national 
media sources and her book “When Mountain 
Lions are Neighbors: People and Wildlife Working 
it out in California” was published in 2016.

Beth leads the #SaveLACougars campaign.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR. 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 May 5th 
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


Sierra Madre Elementary First Graders Joined by 
Jazz Musician, Corey Gemme, For Their Road Trip 
USA Visit To New Orleans.. Get the full story at: 
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v11/htm/n16/p03.htm

2017 4TH OF JULY 
PARADE REGISTRATION 
NOW OPEN

The Sierra Madre 4th of July Parade is an annual 
tradition that is an integral part of the Sierra Madre 
community! This hometown parade features 
community members, organizations, classic cars, 
a marching band, kids on their decorated bikes 
and so much more. Join us for the 2017 parade 
on Tuesday, July 4, from 10:00am – 12:00 pm. 
The parade route will begin at the corner of Sierra 
Madre Blvd. and Sunnyside Avenue, and will 
travel the length of Sierra Madre Blvd. to Sierra 
Vista Park.

Parade participation is open to all; young, young-
at-heart, and everything in between. There is NO 
FEE to participate in the parade this year thanks 
to a sponsorship from the The Kensington. If you 
are interested in participating in the 4th of July 
parade, please submit applications online at www.
sierramadre4thofjuly.com. Parade registration is 
now open and all applications must be submitted 
by Wednesday, May 31st. 

****Due to staging concerns, NO LATE ENTRIES 
WILL BE ACCEPTED!****

For more information on the parade and all of 
the happenings please visit our website at www.
sierramadre4thofjuly.com. 

INTRODUCTION TO 
RUNNING 

Attention beginning runners! Boost your 
confidence by wearing your running shoes over 
to the Sierra Madre Public Library at 10:30 am 
on Saturday, May 13, 2017. Join runner Chantal 
Cravens, for a brief Power Point Presentation, 
running-related treats, a stretch demo, and a 
short, easy jog from the Library to Memorial 
Park. 

Local running stores and the Foothill Flyers 
Running Club will be part of the event to 
help you get started improving your life with 
running. 

 

Cravens will share the positive impact running 
has had on her life and how it can help others 
with school and self-esteem. A teacher, Cravens 
said physical fitness ties in with standardized 
testing, academic improvement, and a positive 
outlook. 

For more information contact Meegan Tosh at 
the Sierra Madre Public Library, (626) 355-7186 

Read, Discover, Connect @ Sierra Madre Public 
Library