Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, March 6, 2021

3Mountain Views-News Saturday, March 6, 2021 3Mountain Views-News Saturday, March 6, 2021 
Do you remember when you first 
discovered Sierra Madre? And what 
made you want to move here and raise 
a family? Everyone has a story of how 
they wanted to live in this unique 
“Village of The Foothills” in the middle 
of the surrounding metropolis. 

Whatever you liked about Sierra 
Madre, you may not have recognized 
that community members have come 
together over the years to preserve our 
special way of life. 
In 1978, Margaret Buckner started the ‘Homeowner & Residents Association’ in response to 
community concerns over developers failing to follow established building codes. In 1987, 
the community came together again when variances were being granted that circumvented 
building codes. 

In 2001, Margie Simpson, as Coordinator for the “Residents For The Preservation of Sierra 
Madre“ published an eight page mailer giving voice to more than 30 families who spoke out 
against plans to build a high school complex in the hills above Baldwin Avenue. 

In 2014, the “Stop the Monastery Housing Project” was formed to respond to the Monastery’s 
plans to sell part of their land to a residential developer. 

The group called ‘Preserve Sierra Madre’ was formed from the ‘Stop the Monastery Housing 
Project’ coalition when the water moratorium was imposed and it became important to 
monitor other projects in the city as well. When the water moratorium was lifted in February, 
2020, the planning for the Monastery development began again in earnest. Many hours have 
been spent attending meetings and following the progress of the plans with the developer - 
New Urban West, the Monastery and the City of Sierra Madre. 

In August, 2020, the City Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 
with the Mater Dolorosa Community for the building of ‘up to 42 single-family detached 
residential units...’ The Project will require the City Council to adopt a Specific Plan, amendthe General Plan and Land Use Map, and amend the Zoning Code and Zoning Map. 

Dealing with the pandemic this last year has made it very difficult for the community to 
understand what is going on with the MOU. 

‘Preserve Sierra Madre’ has a web page and newsletter to provide residents with useful 
information on the development. For further assistance, the City Manager, Gabe Engeland, 
has agreed to answer questions from the community that will be published on line or in the 
Mountain Views News. 

For more information, go to https://www.preservesierramadre.com/ and sign up to receive 
regular newsletters so you can be informed and have a say in the future of your community. 

PASADENA'S PLANNING DIRECTOR TO 
ADDRESS CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 

Pasadena, CA- On March 18 at 7pm, the League 
of Women Voters Pasadena Area will host David 
Reyes, Pasadena's Director of Planning, for an 
interactive on-line discussion of "How to Put the 
Action in Pasadena's Climate Action Plan." 

Joining Reyes will be Dean Kubani, a sustainability 
expert and Chair of Santa Monica's Sustainability 
Task Force. The speaker presentations will 
be followed by a moderated public question and 
answer discussion. 

Cities throughout California have adopted Climate 
Action Plans (CAPs). CAPs use modeling 
techniques to attempt to measure local 
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and identify 
"strategies" and "actions" to reduce these GHG 
emissions. Specific actions are identified to target 
emissions from fossil fuel energy use in commercial, 
residential and municipal buildings and 
transportation, because these account for most 
GHG emissions. CAPs also address waste treatment, 
water management and urban greening. 

Martha Zavala, president of the League of Women 
Voters -Pasadena Area, stated: "The climate 

change crisis is a top priority of the League of 
Women Voters at the national, state and local 
levels. Climate change, with its fires, winds, heat, 
water scarcity, toxicity and other harms, endangers 
our quality of life and property values here 
in the Pasadena area. The voters want to know 
more on this critical subject, and we are committed 
to providing objective, up to date and useful 
information." 

Pasadena's CAP was adopted in 2018 and a progress 
report was issued that same year. The City is 
currently assessing how to measure progress in 
GHG monitoring and implementation of actions. 
The virtual event will take place on Thursday, 
March 18 from 7:00pm-8:30pm. It is open 
to all who register at https://my.lwv.org/california/
pasadena/upcoming. Scroll down to 
LEAGUE@NITE and click on registration box. 

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political 
organization that encourages informed and 
active participation in government, works to increase 
understanding of major public policy issues, 
and influences public policy through education and 
advocacy. 

SIERRA MADRE POLICE BLOTTER 
Harassment On 2-26-21 at 8:00PM. A resident filed a report at the 
station of an apparent case of annoying or harassing phone calls to 
their residence. Case to the DA’s office 
Hazardous Conditions 
At 11:08AM, officers were dispatched to the 00 block of Kersting Court for a report of a swarm of 
very aggressive bees. Officers located the bees and closed off the immediate area for the public’s 
safety. The SMFD Paramedics responded to treat those injured by the bees. No one was taken to the 
hospital for further treatment 
February 21, 2021 to February 27, 2021 During this period the Sierra 
Madre Police Department responded to 189 calls for service. 
WALKING SIERRA MADRE - The Social Side 

by Deanne Davis 

“Dare mighty things!”
President Theodore Roosevelt 

In last week’s Mountain 
Views News, I had the besttime talking about the MarsRover, “Perseverance,” and 
mentioned the quote abovefrom President Roosevelt,
which is sort of a JPL mantra 
and is to be found on many of 
the walls there. It was a secret 
message and I’m hoping this 
isn’t one of those things that’sbeen all over everywhere and 
you all have heard this 42 timesand are going…not again!! 

OK, there is a puzzle lover onthe spacecraft team, Ian Clark, 
a Systems Engineer who used abinary code to spell out “DareMighty Things” in the orangeand white strips of the 70foot 
Perseverance parachute.
Clark also included the GPS 
coordinates for JPL. 

Speaking of puzzles, the 
picture today is of me andgranddaughter, Jessie, and ourlatest puzzle, an under-the-seavista. 
The engineers wanted an 
unusual pattern in the nylon parachute fabric so they could know how the parachute was 
oriented during descent. See! I told you it was cool. 


Jigsaw puzzles have helped folks hang onto their sanity during this everlasting pandemic, 
keeping our hands busy doing something other than lifting our fork or opening another bagof Doritos. Jessie and I have done 18 puzzles so far, most of them 500 pieces. We don’t moveup to 1,000 pieces because that won’t fit on our card table. It takes us weeks sometimes as she’sonly available on weekends and I work on them during the week, but not very long at a time.
When we’re finished, we pass them along to our next-door neighbor, who speeds throughthem like lightning. 

“There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill,
and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle.” Deepak Chopra 

“There are times in life our dreams seem to be scattered all over the place like jigsaw puzzles. 
We just have to take time and continue to assemble them into a unique shape.” Euginia Herlihy 

“You are a piece of the puzzle of someone else’s life. You may never know where you fit, butothers will fill the holes in their lives with pieces of you.” Bonnie Arbon 

About being a piece of the puzzle of someone else’s life, didn’t you enjoy and appreciate SusanHenderson’s editorial last week about her relationship with George Maurer. They truly did endup being pieces of the puzzle of each other’s lives. 

Puzzles are not only sanity savers, but they are calming, too. We don’t stress out nearly asmuch when we’re trying to find all the pieces for the border and the top left corner. Our nextone is a collection of tigers. The border is underway. 

In addition to puzzles, we usually bake something and take some of that over to our neighbors,
too. Like this Cinnamon Coffee Cake which is easy and fast to assemble, will make your housesmell fabulous and it’s delicious…trust me! 

Cinnamon Coffee Cake 

1/4 cup butter 
3/4 cup sugar2 eggs beaten2 cups flour3/4 tsp. salt1 TB. baking powder1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon (generous)
1 cup milk (nonfat works fine, or you can use orange juice if you’re out of milk). 

Cream butter and sugar together, add eggs, beat till light and fluffy. Mix together flour, 
salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Add alternately with butter-sugar mixture and milk. 
Pour into greased 9” baking pan. Sprinkle with topping mixture. 

Topping: 

1/1-2 tsp. cinnamon (generous)
1/2 cup sugar2 TB melted butter 

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. The topping melts down into the coffee cake creating 
deliciously cinnamon-y valleys amongst the cake. You can double and triple this recipe if 
you plan on making enough for all your neighbors. 

I came across this thought from Ardath Rodale. Remember “Prevention” Magazine? Filled with 
healthy stuff? The Rodales were the creators of “Prevention.” This is pretty healthy stuff, too: 

“Born as human beings, 
It is our duty to strive our utmostFor peace in the world and the happiness of others.
Those who love humanity and help people in need,
Are always loved and protected by God wherever they may go.
A person who strives constantly to help others, and better the world,
Is like a diamond buried in the sand.” 

Hope this week brings you joy and laughter. Stay safe my friends! Enjoy this coffee cake and 
get yourself a puzzle. 

My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis 
Easter is on the way and “The Crown”
My story about what happened to that crown of thornsIs now a real book in addition to a Kindle! Also available on Amazon.com 
If you want to check it out, here’s the link where you can see a short video:
https://youtu.be/Y_pC0X286T8 


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