Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, February 2, 2019

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Mountain View News Saturday, February 2, 2019 

SIERRA MADRE SEARCH AND RESCUE 

Sierra Madre Search and Rescue puts the 2018 year in review as it prepares for 2019. 

WALKING SIERRA MADRE by Deanne Davis


Sixty-seven years after its founding, Sierra Madre Search 
and Rescue (SMS&R) continues to stand ready to serve 
any members of the community that find themselves in 
the wilderness and in need of help. In order to do this 
members take part in a constant cycle of reviewing their 
work and training for the future. As the new year turns 
over SMS&R is looking back at 2018 and preparing for 
2019. 

 In 2018 SMS&R responded to 85 operations and 
assisted 98 subjects. Forty-six of these operations 
were searches. Thirty-nine of the operations were 
rescues. The majority of the subjects the team assisted 
were hikers, but in 2018 they also aided 4 mountain 
bikers, 3 dogs, and 2 Alzheimer’s patients. In 2018 the 
team responded in mutual aide to other search and 
rescue teams 17 times. Some of these calls were in 
neighboring Altadena, but other calls took the team 
as far away as Santa Barbara and Alpine County. The 
team also provided medical support for 3 trail races, 
and conducted 7 wilderness safety classes for Boy Scout 
troops and other community groups. 

 Every operation the team responded to was reviewed 
and critiqued as part of the team’s continual efforts 
to provide quality aide to those in need. After every 
operation the participating members take time to review 
the event before they head back home. SIERRA 
MADRE SEARCH AND RESCUE (continued from 
page 1)

At monthly team meetings the entire team also invests 
the time to critique every operation. Sometimes small 
details are honed through critiques. After rescuing 
a subject who became stuck on a steep slope when 
wandering off trail, the team noted that the rescue at 
this location was best executed with a 300 foot rope. It 
is now standard practice to take a 300 foot rope with 
one of the first crews in the field when responding to 
this location. 

 Other times larger patterns are discovered. This year 
the team noticed an increase in calls to assist stranded 
hikers in the Jones Peak area. As a result, the members 
dedicated time training in the area. They used a drone 
to capture images of the difficult terrain and spent time 
in the field specifically evaluating how to best effect 
future rescues in the area. 

 There is a lot to reflect on in 2018 but SMS&R is also 
looking to the future. With winter upon us the team is 
dedicating much of its training efforts in the next few 
months to winter operations. 

 Responding to calls in the snow and ice requires a 
distinct set of skills. Rescuers must know how to travel 
safely and effectively with snowshoes and crampons. 
They must be able to evaluate snow and avalanche 
conditions and be proficient in using their ice axes to 
arrest a fall on an icy slope if needed. Team members 
wear avalanche beacons and know how to respond if a 
teammate is caught in an avalanche. They are prepared 
to spend snowy nights camped out in the field if the 
need arises. 

 Patients also require unique care in the winter. From 
the way they are warmly packaged in a litter designed 
for use in the snow, to the techniques used to haul the 
litter out by pulling it across the snow, winter requires its 
own specific skills.

 SMS&R has dedicated three weekends in January 
and February to honing these skills. A large portion of 
every team member’s time is spent in training. Over 
the course of 2018 the team accrued 12,115 hours of 
training. Including all of their training, operations and 
other activities the team accumulated 18,295 hours of 
service.

 Sierra Madre Search and Rescue is an all volunteer 
organization that is completely funded by donations. 
No fees are ever charged for their services. If you would 
like to support the work that they do, visit smsr.org to 
make a donation. If you are interested in becoming a 
team member, visit the Recruiting page at smsr.org.

“All day I’ve faced the barren waste
Without the taste of water, cool, water
Old Dan and I with throats burned dry
And souls that cry for water, cool, clear, water.” 

(Bob Nolan & Sons of the Pioneers – 1949)

“Bioswales: Landscape elements designed to 
concentrate or remove debris and pollution out of 
surface runoff water, working to remove pollutants 
through vegetation and the soil. As storm water 
runoff flows through the bioswale, pollutants are 
captured and settled by the leaves and stems of 
plants. Pollutants then enter the soil where they 
decompose or can be broken down by bacteria in 
healthy soil.” Wikipedia

 You guys probably know all about bioswales, but 
until a few days ago, I had never even heard the 
word. Then my friend, Danielle Killian, sent me a 
couple of pictures of our bioswales at work and I was 
enthralled. I first met Danielle when she invited me 
to be part of the Greenbuild 2016 Los Angeles Birds 
and Bees Garden Tour which started downtown 
at the LA Convention Center, progressed to the 
Sierra Madre City Hall then wound up at Descanso 
Gardens. The Authentic Foothill Gardens right 
here at our very own City Hall/Police Department 
facility were created to provide a landscape that 
is lush, leafy and low-water. And they are a huge 
success. 

 The gardens at City Hall have never been more 
beautiful and, now that they’ve had a chance to 
grow, the plants are breathtaking. Isara Ongwiseth, 
the garden’s lead designer is a talented artist who 
has several gardens on tour this spring. Chris 
Cimino, the Public Works Director, who manages 
the garden for the city took this picture during the 
recent very welcome days of rain, which shows our 
rock bioswale full to the brim with rainwater. Just 
a few days later, both bioswales had completely 
drained, allowing that precious rainwater to 
infiltrate the ground and planted spaces. Cool!

 OK, where are the bioswales? If you walk through 
the garden center, just outside City Hall, where that 
delightful sculpture of the little guy with his fishing 
pole stands and look toward the Police Department, 
you’re see a beautiful bridge and a bed of boulders 
several feet deep. All the rainwater which collected 
there, is now part of our water table. There are two 
bioswales there in our gardens, the one of rocks and 
boulders and another deep depression of grasses – 
riparian native plants such as hummingbird sage 
and Carex pansa grass - on the longer side of the 
bridge. While poppies aren’t generally thought of 
as “riparian,” you’ll see them growing between the 
rocks in the rock bioswale. With all the extra water, 
we’ll be watching to see what else pops up in there 
this spring.

 Here’s something else I didn’t know: bioswales 
are not designed to store water long term. Well, of 
course! It sinks right into the ground. Our bioswales 
are complemented by a rain barrel located at the 
side of the police and fire station. Our gardens are 
perfectly designed for our foothill community. 
These lush and leafy gardens give us year round 
beauty and, here’s the best part, save about 75% 
of the water previously used. The plants in our 
Chaparral and Coastal Sage Garden, Fire Garden, 
Wildlife Garden and Shade Garden also mitigate 
fire, retain slopes and feed wildlife, improving our 
adjacent wildspaces and the city itself.

 You know, these plants entice butterflies, birds, 
beneficial insects, hummingbirds and lizards. 
The Edible Garden also includes some nice picnic 
tables where folks can bring their lunch and sit 
for a peaceful hour just looking at the beauty 
surrounding them. 

 Signs in the garden ask, “Is your garden water 
wise?” Also most of the plants are identified. I 
especially liked “Lawn Alternative #2 – Festuca 
rubra,” so you can write down the names of the ones 
you’d like to have in your own water wise garden. 
You can create your very own bioswale, too. Take a 
look at the City Hall gardens and I guarantee you’ll 
be inspired!

 Many thanks to Danielle Killian, James Carlson 
(the city’s management analyst, who also works on 
watershed and water conservation issues throughout 
this region), Chris Cimino and, of course, designer 
Isara Ongwiseth who saw potential for beauty and 
the salvation of our precious rainwater. 

 

 My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis – 
check out Noah & The Unicorns...or maybe The 
Vuillaume Violin

Both available there, along with other goodies!

 Star of Wonder the CD is now on TuneCore! 
Take a look!

 Blog: www.authordeanne.com

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


Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

PUPPY BOWL XV

GO BIG AND GO HOME!

Hey all you fluffy puppy fans 
out there; get ruff, get ready 
and grab a front-row-center 
seat for the most awesome, the 
most pawsome television event of 
the season! Ladies and gentlemen 
(football fans excepted), prepare yourselves for the return of 
Animal Planet’s furry, fun and fabulous PUPPY BOWL XV!

 Back by popular demand, this year’s exclusive annual adoption 
extravaganza is scheduled to air on the Animal Planet Channel, 
Sunday February 3rd at 3:00 p.m. ET. If - on the big day - you’re 
super excited and simply can’t wait for the puppy action, tune 
in at 2:00 p.m. ET for some pre-game coverage featuring canine 
correspondents Rodt Weiler, James Hound and Sheena Inu.

 This year’s precocious pup line-up is sure to be a hit with all who enjoy the incredibly hilarious, outrageous 
antics of two top-dog teams vying for position to run the bone to the end zone. There will be loads of grunting, 
groping and growling on the grid as each pup gives it up in their best effort to entertain the onlookers. 

 Animal Planet’s critically acclaimed PUPPY BOWL has grown in popularity and participation since its first 
event in 2004. Over the past 14 years, PUPPY BOWL has featured more than 500 adoptable and adorable 
puppies that have played their hearts out and found forever homes. All of the puppies and kittens that have 
participated in PUPPY BOWL so far have been adopted by loving families, for a 100% 14-year event success 
rate.

 Animal Planet continues the tradition this year with a whole new set of adorable animals that are ready 
to tumble and fumble into new homes across the nation. PUPPY BOWL XV features an unprecedented 93 
puppies rescued from 53 shelters located in various states throughout the continental US, Costa Rica and 
Puerto Rico.

 This year, the starting line-up of 36 precious pups will be joined by two cuties with special needs; Bumble is 
a hearing-impaired furry fella who will be proudly playing for Team Fluff, and Will is an amazingly agile three-
legged cutie who will also be representing Team Fluff. Joined by all the other participating puppies, they will 
come rushing out to the field with tremendous zeal and a motto of “Go Big AND Go Home!”

 You won’t want to miss this canine competition between “Team Ruff” and “Team Fluff” as they rock the set 
with their over-the-top playful personalities and tenacious team spirit. No doubt, they will all do their best in 
their common quest to win the title of MVP - Most Valuable Puppy!

 For full details of the event, to view photos of the pup line up, get information on the Kitty Tailgate Awards and 
find out who is playing for the half-time show (lots of adorable adoptable kitties, of course) - visit the PUPPY 
BOWL XV webpage at animalplanet.
com.

 If you are a true-blue event enthusiast 
and wish to get a bonus tid-bit about 
what goes on behind the scenes of the 
PUPPY BOWL, tune in to “Meet the 
Puppies of the Puppy Bowl”, a Youtube 
video that includes an interview 
with Victoria Shade, official PUPPY 
BOWL trainer for 12 years. In it, Shade 
reveals that participating pups are all 
rookie players that she coaxes into 
impromptu performances and that the 
only real requirement to participate is a 
willingness to play nice with others.


SIERRA MADRE POLICE BLOTTER

During this period, the Sierra Madre Police Department 
responded to approximately 317 day and night time calls 
for service.

Monday, January 21

A theft by unknown suspect(s) from an unlocked 
vehicle was reported to have occurred in the driveway 
in the 100 block of Coburn Ave. sometime between 
Sunday, 1/20/19, at about 5:00PM and Monday, 1/21/19, 
at about 8:00AM. A tennis bag, tennis rackets, a jacket 
and possibly a checkbook were apparently removed 
from the vehicle.

Case to Detectives

1:41PM

Officers were dispatched to interview a citizen to report 
that his tires, radio and speakers were stolen from his 
vehicle. The vehicle was parked to the rear of a building 
in the 100 block of W. Sierra Madre Bl. The apparent 
theft occurred sometime between 1/18/19 at 5:00PM 
and 1/21/19 at 10:00AM.

Case to Detectives

Wednesday, January 23

Between 1/20/19 at 10:15AM and 1/23/19 at 8:29AM, 
an unknown suspect(s) entered a commercial building 
by prying a door in the 00 block of N Baldwin Ave. The 
suspect(s) then entered the building, pried open an 
office door, pried open a safe and took a bag containing 
money. The suspect(s) then fled in an unknown 
direction by unknown means. 

Case to Detectives

Saturday, January 26

At about 2:14PM, officers responded to the 00 block 
of 94 N Baldwin Ave. regarding several juveniles that 
were seen attempting to break into a vacant structure. 
Officers made contact with several juveniles. Further 
investigation revealed that the juveniles were trespassing 
and were released to their parents.

Sunday, January 27, 

At about 2:00AM a resident reported that her daughter 
parked and locked her car in the driveway in the 200 
block of N. Sunnyside Ave. At about 6:00AM, the 
resident discovered the vehicle had been stolen. No one 
had permission to drive the vehicle and a set of keys is 
missing.

Case to Detectives

9:42AM

A report of a theft of a vehicle was reported in the 
station’s lobby by a resident who parked his vehicle 
in his carport in the 500 block of W. Sierra Madre 
Bl. at about 12:20AM. The VW Golf was locked 
and secured. At 9:00AM the, victim's wife went to 
place a bag in the vehicle and discovered it had been 
stolen. No one had permission to drive the vehicle 
however, the victim’s purse was stolen on 1/25/19 in 
Los Angeles that contained her ID and the keys for 
the stolen vehicle.

Case to Detectives


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