Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, February 11, 2017

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2017

SECTION B

AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY

DEDICATION OF THE SANTA FE TRAIN DEPOT

From the Sierra Madre PD

It has come to the attention 
of the city that some of our 
residents might have been 
targeted for an attempted utility 
fraud scam. If you are ever 
suspicious of any interaction 
with someone claiming to be 
from the City of Sierra Madre 
please call the City of Sierra 
Madre at (626) 355-7135.

What Do Scammers Do?

Scammers impersonate City 
staff and utility workers. 
They may use fear and 
intimidation to force you to 
make a payment using a credit 
card or a prepaid money card 
immediately threatening that 
otherwise your service will 
be disconnected. They may 
use “spoofing software” that 
displays the name and phone 
number of City of Sierra Madre 
on your Caller ID.

What Should You Do Next?

Hang up! Do not give the callers 
any personal information and 
do not pay!

Call City of Sierra Madre 
at (626) 355-7135 to check 
your account balance and 
to inform us about the 
scammer. Make payments 
24/7 online at https://www.
municipalonlinepayments.
com/sierramadreca 

 Do not call any other number 
that the caller gives you. Do 
not give any information to 
the caller, not even an account 
number which can be used to 
threaten you in future phone 
calls.

What You Need to Know:

 City of Sierra Madre NEVER 
makes outbound calls asking 
for payment or a customer’s 
credit card information. City 
of Sierra Madre NEVER 
visits residential customers to 
solicit program enrollment or 
ask for payments.

 If we do need to make a 
water quality check, we will 
inform you first or respond if 
you request this service. City 
of Sierra Madre employees 
never enter a home to check 
for water quality. Always ask 
utility employees for proper 
identification and look for City 
of Sierra Madre vehicles.

Spread the Word!

 Share this information 
with your friends, family, 
neighbors, and co-workers to 
protect them from scammers. 
Business owners - educate all 
your employees about phone 
calls that may threaten service 
interruptions. Many times 
managers or employees who do 
not have account information 
are worried that if they don’t 
act quickly and pay, services 
will be shut off. 


By Joan Schmidt

Last Thursday, it was bright and sunny-just like the 
mood of everyone who came out to witness the 
dedication of the Santa Fe Train Depot in Monrovia

 It was a great event. Representing the great city 
of Monrovia were Mayor Tom Adams, Mayor Pro 
tem Alex Blackburn, Council Members Gloria 
Crudginton, Becky Shevlin and Larry Spicer; City 
Manager Oliver Chi, City Clerk Alice Atkins, City 
Treasurer and Historian Steve Baker, and Police 
Chief Jim Hunt. Monrovia-Arcadia-Town Council 
Members included Chair, Dave Hall; Vice Chair, 
Terrence Williams (Also representing the School 
Board); and Council Member Joan Schmidt Clayton.

 The current Depot was built in 1926. It is a Spanish 
Colonial Revival and was used as a “combo” depot 
for both passenger and freight trains. It was owned 
by the Atchison-Topeka-Santa Fe Railroad and has 
a “sister” station in Claremont. (That city is also 
planning to restore its depot.) The first depot was 
a wooden building constructed in 1886 and its use 
began in 1887.

 Each of Monrovia’s Council Members had a part 
in the festivities and when Mayor Pro Tem Blackburn 
spoke, he told of fellow Council Member Gloria 
Crudginton’s passion for this project. It also must be 
mentioned that Gloria and her husband are part of 
the Monrovia Historical Preservation Society and 
that group’s determination to restore the building.

 Mayor Tom Adams explained what a difficult 
journey it was to get this project off the ground. There 
was a lot of negativity about the cost of restoration 
and the condition of the building. But MONROVIA 
is special and did NOT allow this building to be 
razed. Tom also had praise for City Manager Oliver 
Chi and his integral role in this process. “There were 
a lot of tough negotiations and difficult decisions.”

 The contractors are Samuelson and Fetter. (One 
can visit their website and see they are local and some 
of their great projects in Monrovia.) Reid Samuelson 
and Blaine Fetter were there as well as their sons. 
Blaine told the audience what a vast undertaking this 
project was. He and his wife Lynda already purchased 
four homes of this period and restored them. He told 
us that Monrovia was a very special City “with a soul” 
and when their company finished restoration of the 
depot, Monrovia will have a “new heart.” 

 The project should be completed in five months, 
looking at a summer opening. There has not yet been 
a restaurant chosen and Blaine said they are opened 
to suggestions. They want something, “special and 
different.” The building is a “ghost” and they hope to 
“bring it back to life.”

 Presentations were by Hector Elizalde for 
Congresswoman Grace Napolitano, Kristri Lopez for 
Senator Anthony Portantino and Ryan Senneff for 
Supervisor Kathryn Barger.


EMERGING WOMEN

Creative Arts Group is proud to present the premier 
gallery exhibition: “EMERGING WOMEN” - a 
collection of exciting modern and often historically 
significant works of art inspired by and selected from 
the recently published, groundbreaking 4-volume set 
of books: Emerging From the Shadows: A Survey of 
Women Artists Working in California 1860-1960. The 
exhibition, curated by author Maurine St. Gaudens, 
consists of stimulating and captivating paintings and 
sculpture all created by women artists working in 
California as well as throughout the United States, 
Mexico and Europe; most of whom were previously 
unknown. The majority of the 80+ works have never 
been seen by the public before this thought-provoking 
exhibition which will leave you asking why were these 
talented artists left in the shadows and forgotten? 

 St. Gaudens, a respected painting conservator and 
artist, is the granddaughter of noted San Francisco 
jeweler, Maurice Saint Gaudens and third cousin of 
esteemed sculptor, Augustus Saint Gaudens. Growing up 
encouraged and surrounded by the art, she established 
the Maurine St. Gaudens Studio in Pasadena. In 
addition to her work as a Fine Arts conservator, she has 
curated numerous art exhibitions throughout Southern 
California and has served as a consultant and manager 
for various artists’ estates. 

 “Emerging Women” opens Saturday, March 18, 
2017, with a reception from 7-9 pm. The exhibition will 
continue through April 26, 2017. In addition, Maurine 
St. Gaudens, along with her colleagues Joseph Morsman 
and Maureen Siegel Sprowles, will be at Creative Arts 
Group on April 7, 2017, from 7-9pm to participate in a Q 
& A discussing the artists presented in Emerging from 
the Shadows and the influential role these adventurous 
women played in the development of the arts culture in 
California.


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