SIERRA MADRE EDITION

 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018 

VOLUME 12 NO. 42

CONTROVERSY ERUPTS OVER WATER 
LINE WARRANTY PROGRAM

THE SCARECROWS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN!

Sierra Madre's Creative Arts Group 7th Annual Scarecrow Festival contest winners have been decided!

Each year the city is filled with delight as resident's creations come to life and this year was no exception. 
A total of 103 entries are on display throughout the city until October 31st. People's choice inners were 
voted on via the Creative Arts websites. Other winners were chosen by Creative Arts Group judges. 

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS: RESIDENTS

1st Place - #87 Angelina Ballerina Scarecrow https://www.creativeartsgroup.org/2018/s87/

2nd Place - #55 Livvie & Gerrie https://www.creativeartsgroup.org/2018/s55/

3rd Place - #84 Cherry Jam https://www.creativeartsgroup.org/2018/s84/



PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS: BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION

1st Place - #31 Frida (Sierra Madre Elementary) https://www.creativeartsgroup.org/2018/s31/

2nd Place - #27 Bella Ballerina (Ballet With Miss Amie) https://www.creativeartsgroup.org/2018/s27/

3rd Place - #68 Spidey (Mail Box and Postal) https://www.creativeartsgroup.org/2018/s68/



BEST IN SHOW:

#58 Mother Madre https://www.creativeartsgroup.
org/2018/s58/



STORY AWARDS:

(Child) - #52 Flaky the Witch https://www.creativeartsgroup.
org/2018/s52/

(Adult) - #86 Worthington https://www.creativeartsgroup.
org/2018/s86/

(Organization) - #10 SME Girl Scouts https://www.
creativeartsgroup.org/2018/s10/

To see all of the scarecrows please visit https://www.
creativeartsgroup.org/scarecrow-festival/scarecrows/ 
to read their stories and find out their locations. 
Print maps are still available at Creative Arts 
Group for the rest of October.

Thank you to all of this year’s participants for contributing 
your time and talent to the Scarecrow Festival! 
A special thanks to our sponsors: Canyon 
Canine, City of Sierra Madre, Dilbeck Real Estate, 
Gem Plumbing, Kiwanis Club of Sierra Madre, 
Mountain Views News and the Sierra Madre Chamber 
of Commerce.

Award winners please stop by Creative Arts Group 
to pick up your awards! 108 N. Baldwin Avenue, 
Sierra Madre, CA 91024. We are open from 10 to 5 
Monday-Friday and from 10 to 2 on Saturdays.



Residents question validity of solicitation 
and city’s endorsement

Sierra Madre homeowners received an 
envelope in the mail earlier this week that 
looked official. It bore the Sierra Madre 
Logo and contained information on how 
homeowners could participate in a program 
for Water and Sewer Line Warranties. And 
while that seemed harmless enough, it set off a 
barrage of telephone calls to city hall and this 
newspaper, as well as numerous social media 
posts from residents concerned about the 
authenticity of the documents and whether or 
not it was a scam. There was also great concern 
regarding whether or not the city had endorsed 
this company and if so, why? The letter was 
not signed by any city official, but rather a 
representative of a company called SLWA.

As it turns out, the letters were legitimate. The 
insurance offering was not random. The Sierra 
Madre city council approved participating 
with the company on March 13, 2018. http://
www.cityofsierramadre.com/common/
pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=12544020

In the staff report presented to the council 
in March it notes that the company has been 
serving California cities since 2012 including 
the city of Duarte. The program offers 
insurance policies to residential property 
owners that “covers the buried outside water 
line which runs from the meter and/or curb 
box which includes the service line under the 
concrete floor until it daylights into the home.”

The cost for the policy ranges from a minimum 
$6 a month depending on the service you choose, 
a fee that reflects a reduction from the standard 
rate because the City of Sierra Madre chose 
not to accept any commission for residents 
who sign up. Instead, the city had those funds 
applied to the premium in order to reduce the 
amount residents would have to pay. No funds 
or other benefits will go to the city from SLWA.

The coverage is not mandatory. City Manager 
Gabe Engeland, in a telephone interview on 
Friday, confirmed the fact that participation by 
residents in the program is strictly voluntary. 

The program says that it will call on local 
businesses to service claims. However, three 
of the largest companies that serve Sierra 
Madre have no relationship with SLWA, raising 
the question of how this program will affect 
the businesses that residents currently use.

The Mountain Views News reached out to 
SLWA to confirm the information contained 
in the literature and secure a list of the local 
businesses that it uses, however was unable to 
reach anything other than a recording and there 
were no responses to the messages that were left.

SLWA is part of the National League of Cities 
Utilities Service Partner Program. City 
Councilman and Former Mayor Gene Goss, 
who recognizes the ongoing battle the entire 
city is having with aging water and sewer lines 
said, “This is a great program to those who have 
old plumbing systems. This gives residents the 
opportunity to protect themselves from the 
costs of catastrophic failure in these systems.”

For more information on the program and 
answers to frequently asked questions, go to: 
www.cityofsierramadre.com/transparency

S. Henderson/MVNews


BEST IN SHOW: ”Mother Madre” is a personification of 
the amazing bounty of nature that life in Sierra Madre affords 
us. She represents the glory of the coming seasons and 
the celebrations that we look forward to in our special town. 
“Mother Madre” stands tall in protection of all Earths 
beauty.

COUNTYWIDE TYPHUS PREVENTION/ RESPONSE PLAN 
PROPOSED PILOT PROGRAM APPROVED

 The Board of Supervisors has 
approved a motion by Supervisors 
Kathryn Barger and Janice Hahn 
directing the Los Angeles County 
Department of Public Health to 
develop a countywide typhus 
prevention and response plan, in 
coordination with Pasadena Public 
Health Department and the Long 
Beach Department of Health and 
Human Services.

 A related item on the agenda, 
called for the development of a 
pilot program to prevent the spread 
of disease among the homeless 
population. The proposed pilot, 
“Housing for Public Health,” will 
entail strategically deployed public 
health and homeless outreach to 
sites that have local sanitation 
efforts underway, with the goal of 
connecting individuals to housing 
and minimizing public health risks 
at the sites. 

 “It is simply inhumane to stand by 
while people are living in dangerous 
conditions,” said Supervisor Barger. 
“While efforts to address the typhus 
outbreak are underway, there is a 
need for a strategic public health 
solution to this component of the 
homelessness crisis.”

 The LA County Dept of Public 
Health recently initiated a response 
to a typhus outbreak in Downtown 
Los Angeles. The Department’s data 
shows a fluctuating upward trend 
in annual typhus cases since 2009. 
In 2016, there were 47 confirmed 
cases of typhus. The following year, 
2017, reached 67 confirmed cases of 
typhus. This year so far, 2018 has 
64 confirmed cases of typhus in Los 
Angeles County. These numbers 
exclude Pasadena (20 cases so far 
this year) and Long Beach (13 cases 
so far this year), as both cities have 
independent health departments 
which track and respond to cases in 
their respective cities. 

 


ELECTION FORUMS – LET’S TALK ABOUT IT!

 The election on November 6 will contain, among other things, 12 statewide ballot initiatives that will 
have an impact on the lives of most Californians. Getting beyond the television rhetoric by proponents 
and opponents of the measures is not something that can be accomplished with a 30 second exposure to 
the issue. On Tuesday, October 23rd at Noon and Thursday, October 25th at 6:00 pm, there will be two 
Town Hall discussions on the 12 measures presenting both the pros and cons of each. These forums are 
being sponsored by the Sierra Madre Kiwanis Club at noon Tuesday and a joint venture with the Sierra 
Madre Chamber of Commerce and the Sierra Madre Woman's Club at 6:00 pm Thursday. It is hoped that 
these forums will help all voters, regardless of your position on the issues, make informed decisions.

Tuesday, October 23, 2018 12:00pm Thursday, October 25, 2018 6:00pm

THE LODGE SM WOMAN'S CLUB - ESSICK HOUSE

33 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. 550 W Sierra Madre Blvd.

Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024


WE'RE HAVING AN OPEN HOUSE & YOU'RE INVITED!

Christ Congregational Church, previously Sierra Madre 
Congregational Church which has been rooted in the heart 
of the Sierra Madre for over 130 years, is seeing an exciting 
new season of growth and transformation. 

This transformation is indicated by our new name, new 
lead pastor, new ministry team, and new, beautifully renovated, 
sanctuary. 

Desiring to be a church rooted in God’s love and known for 
generously serving our Sierra Madre community, everyone 
is invited to experience these changes at our open house 
this Sunday. 

Sunday, October 21, 2018 

9:00 AM 12:00 PM 

Christ Church Sierra Madre

170 West Sierra Madre BoulevardSierra Madre, CA, 91024

For more information, please visit 

www.ChristChurchSM.org


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