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SIERRA MADRE 4THOF JULY COMMITTEEPOBox1073,SierraMadreCA 91025James Annes,Chair626-355-5278May3,2018Immediate 4thof JulyGrandMarshalSteve HeydorffThevolunteersof theSierraMadre4th of July Committeearepleasedandexcitedtoannouncethatthe2018FourthofJulyParadeGrandMarshalwillbeSierraMadre’sveryownSteveHeydorff. “TheGrandMarshalisapersonorpersonswhoseeffortsoveralongperiod of timehasbeen beneficial to the community of Sierra Madre. work,SierraMadre’sFireChief afterserving37years(on theSierraMadreFireDepartment.Steve spentthe last39years makingSierraMadrehishome. Hemovedherein 1979with hiswifeLynetteandeventuallythey raisedtwodaughters,FarrellandGillian.onBrooksideLane. Chief Heydorff joined thethen Volunteer becameavolunteerEngineerin volunteerCaptainin1989,andin servingpart-Prevention Bureau. In 1993servingon aStateStrikeTeamStevevisitedfourmajorfiresin Mesa,AnaheimHills,LagunaandMalibu.In2002,andin 2003spentamonth helpingin In2006hewashiredby theCity astheDirectorof was electedas the City’slastandfinalVolunteerFireChief.to a paidChief by the City in 2008. Over the course he respondedtoover9000 calls,wastheleadingforcetobringparamedicservicetothecommunity andassistedtheCity withthetransitionfromthelastvolunteerfire SIERRA MADRE EDITION SATURDAY, MAY 5, 2018 VOLUME 12 NO. 18 4TH OF JULY GRAND MARSHAL STEVE HEYDORFF The volunteers of the Sierra Madre 4th of July Committee are pleased and excited to announce that the 2018 Fourth of July Parade Grand Marshal will be Sierra Madre’s very own Steve Heydorff. “The Grand Marshal is a person or persons whose efforts over a long period of time has been beneficial to the community of Sierra Madre. The title of Grand Marshal is intended to honor a person or persons’ volume of work, dedication and overall enhancements to our community.” Steve recently retired as Sierra Madre’s Fire Chief after serving 37 years (mostly volunteer) on the Sierra Madre Fire Department. Steve really is our Hometown Hero making a difference in our lives every day. Steve spent the last 39 years making Sierra Madre his home. He moved here in 1979 with his wife Lynette and eventually they raised two daughters, Farrell and Gillian. His first volunteer act was the building of a covered bridge in the Sierra Madre Canyon on Brookside Lane. Chief Heydorff joined the then Volunteer Fire Department in 1981, became a volunteer Engineer in 1985, volunteer EMT in 1988, volunteer Captain in 1989, and in 2001 continuing his volunteer duties and began serving part-time in the City’s Fire Prevention Bureau. In 1993 serving on a State Strike Team Steve visited four major fires in a 56 hour period including Kineloa-Mesa, Anaheim Hills, Laguna and Malibu. In 2002, he was promoted to volunteer Battalion Chief and in 2003 spent a month helping in Mississippi and Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. In 2006 he was hired by the City as the Director of Fire Services and in 2007 was elected as the City’s last and final Volunteer Fire Chief. The position was transitioned to a paid Chief by the City in 2008. Over the course of his service in Sierra Madre, he responded to over 9000 calls, was the leading force to bring paramedic service to the community and assisted the City with the transition from the last volunteer fire department in Los Angeles County to a combination model. He’s final act was to create a children’s education area next to the Station so youth tours could continue and kids could learn what firefighters do while on the job. In his free time, Steve and local firefighter Charlie Childs opened the Sierra Madre Brewing Company in 1997 at the Old Ice House on Montecito and he got his pilot license. Steve proudly states that his biggest accomplishment is seeing all the career firefighters who began their careers volunteering right here in Sierra Madre, finding their passion and following their dreams. Overall, as a true Hometown Hero, Steve is a dedicated husband, father and friend to many. He is funny, kind, generous, and a whole-heartedly devoted contributor to our town; a shining example of the sort of person who makes Sierra Madre such a magical place to live. For more information on all of the 4th of July Festivities, please visit www.sierramadre4thofjuly.com. TOO MUCH TRAFFIC IN THE VILLAGE? Is technology eroding the village nature of Sierra Madre Despite the best efforts of the citizens of Sierra Madre, the world beyond its boundaries are slowly bringing about unwanted changes. In this instance the villain isn’t some money grubbing capitalist, but rather the town has become another victim via the unintentional consequence of technology. Last week this paper reported on an accident caused by an out of control vehicle. Earlier this week, the Mountain Views News was contacted by resident Scott Bernstein who was a few feet away from the scene and who narrowly escaped being struck by the SUV. Still audibly shaken, Bernstein who is blind, was in the yard with his service dog when it happened. While sharing the details of his harrowing experience, the conversation changed to the increased frequency of traffic and its impact on Sierra Madre. While it is a fact that the population of Sierra Madre has not fluctuated much in the last few decades (10,000 – 11,000+ residents), it is also a fact that the amount of traffic that traverses the streets has increased dramatically. So, if the demographics of the town is pretty stable, what has changed? According to Captain Donna Cayson the number of traffic incidents, including accidents and moving violations such as speeding and illegal turns is on a steady rise. Streets like Grandview, Sierra Madre Boulevard, Orange Grove, Mountain Trail, Highland, Lima and Sunnyside have been burdened with additional traffic without any regard for the the expectedsafety and tranquility of the town. Much of the increased traffic is believed to be the result of motorists' increased use of GPS systems such as WAZE which encourages users to go through city streets and avoid slow freeway traffic. The headline of a story that appeared in the New York Times last year perhaps said it best, "Navigation Apps Are Turning Quiet Neighborhoods Into Traffic Nightmares." Smartphone services like Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps, send too much traffic through the heretofore quiet streets in town. Add to that the propensity of some residents to get everywhere in a hurry, signs like one posted on Sunnyside have started to appear. It says, “Drive like your child lives here” So what can be done to suppress this unwanted traffic flow? Residents like Bernstein would like to see more speed bumps in town. Others would like to see more enforcement activities. The city is very aware of the growing problem, as residents do express their traffic concerns to City Hall according to CM Gabe Engeland. The challenge however, is to find solutions that not only help curtail the Sierra Madre 210 Alternative traffic flow, but does not have a negative impact on the residents of Sierra Madre who want to keep the town with safe streets and traffic light free. S, Henderson/MVNews 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Mountain Views News 80 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. #327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.604.4548 www.mtnviewsnews.com |