Mountain Views News, Combined edition

Combined Edition

Inside this Week:

Things to Do Places to Go:

Sierra Madre:
Walking SM … The Social Side
Monastery Minute
Letter to the Editor

SM Community Calendar:
SM Calendar of Events

Pasadena – Altadena:

Local City News:

Around The San Gabriel Valley:
Sierra Madre Police Blotter
Arcadia Police Blotter
Monrovia Police Blotter
Duarte Police Blotter
L.A. Covid-19 Update

Best Friends and More:
Chef Peter Dills
Table for Two
Christopher Nyerges
SM Playhouse Presents
Katnip News!
Pet of the Week

The Good Life:
Family Matters
Out to Pastor
Senior Happenings

Education & Youth:
Crossword

Support Your Local Businesses:

Opinion:
Joe Guzzardi
Now That's Rich
Stuart Tolchin On …
The Funnies

Legal Notices (1):

Legal Notices (2):

Sports:

Support Your Local Businesses:

Columnists:
Deanne Davis
Peter Dills
Marc Garlett
Robert Gjerde
Rich Johnson
Christopher Nyerges
Rev. James Snyder
Stuart Tolchin

Recent Issues:
Issue 15
Issue 14
Issue 13
Issue 12
Issue 11
Issue 10
Issue 9
Issue 8
Issue 7
Issue 6
Issue 5

Archives:
MVNews Archive:  Page 1

MVNews this week:  Page 1

SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022 VOLUME 16 NO. 16VOLUME 16 NO. 16 
real estate 
Jan Greteman 626.975.4033 
jan@jangreteman.com 
jangreteman.com #01943630 
Judy Webb-Martin 626.688.2273 
jwmartin@dppre.com #00541631 
Katie Orth 626.688.0418 
korth@dppre.com #00942500 
Your Story. Your Home. Your Team. 
Together Stronger. 
WebbMartinGroup.comWe continue to be so appreciative of all our clients 
whom we have been able to support. Despite everything, 
we are NEVER too busy to support you. Feel free to 
reach out to any of us with questions about the market 
and/or if you are interested in moving forward with 
selling or buying a home. 
Jan-March 2022 
Jan-March 2022 
Jan-March 2021 
Jan-March 2021 
Averages 
Averages 
Beds 
Beds 
3 
2 2 
3 
3 
2 3 
3 
2,124 
1,213 1,318 
2,036 
12,983 11,072 
$1,536,457 
$775,725 $775,725 
$1,266,656 
$1,685,789 
$788,750 $811,000 
$1,250,416 
$879 
$650 $624 
$659 
Baths 
Baths 
SF 
SF 
SF Lot 
Price SF 
Price SF 
List Price 
List Price 
Sold Price 
Sold Price 
Single-Family Homes Averages 
Condominiums Homes Averages 
AREA MARKET REPORT JAN-MARCH 2022 
Sierra Madre 
Prices of Single-Family Homes in Sierra Madre were up 
by a whopping 34% for the 1st quarter of 2022. 
It’s a great time to sell and we understand 
how to maximize your home’s value! 
1158 New York Drive 
Altadena 91001 
4 Beds | 2 Baths | 2,390 sf | 35,796 sf Lot 
1913 Farmhouse Listed at $1,998,000 
JUST LISTED 
8:30am to 2:00pm 
Saturday, April 23rd 
30 North Baldwin Avenue 
Sierra Madre, CA 91024 
Looking To Dispose Of 
Your Sensitive Documents? 
Stop by and drop-off 
your documents safely. 
1158NewYorkDr.comBy Bob Spears 
The driving forces be-
hind the Sierra Madre 
Post Office Landscape 
Project are varied, yet 
they all combine to 
inspire a whole com-
munity of volunteers 
to step up and make a 
difference. We all want 
to be proud of our pub-
lic places and hope that 
they reflect well on our 
City. This project is fu-
eled by that civic pride 
and funded by citi-
zens who contribute 
to the success of the 
endeavor. 
The initial inspiration 
for the project was the 
condition of the origi-
nal landscape. Installed 
when the building was 
dedicated in 1961, the 
landscape had become 
overgrown and mis-
shapen. There was no 
gardening service, per 
se, and Joe, the cus-
todian for the site, 
worked hard at trying 
to control the plants. 
The USPS does not al-
locate specific funds for landscaping, so the existing plants just kept getting bigger. Joe did a good job with what he had to deal with, but 
without proper support, he was outmatched over time. 
The second factor driving the project is the ongoing drought. Here’s a fun fact: 60-75% of the water used at any lot in Sierra Madre is put 
on the ground. You read that right; more than half the water provided by the City is used for landscaping. That is why the City passed the 
“Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance” in 2016. The purpose of the ordnance is to “promote the design, installation, and maintenance 
of landscaping in a manner that conserves regional water resources by ensuring that landscaping projects are not unduly water needy 
and that irrigation systems are appropriately designed and installed to minimize water waste”. The plants in front of the Post Office 
were being watered regularly with spray nozzles, the most inefficient method. On hot days, only 71% of the water was being used by the 
plants. The conservation of municipal water is the big reason why the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District has become the big-
gest supporter, so far, of this project. 
The third element that motivated the volunteers was 
the installation of the new landscaping at the Sierra 
Madre City Hall. One of the premiere landscaping 
companies in Los Angeles, FormLA, designed and in-
stalled a garden of native drought tolerant plants. The 
plants are watered by an efficient irrigation system 
that insures all the water gets to the plants and only 
when they need it. The garden at City Hall does not re-
quire weekly maintenance because native plants grow 
more slowly. In short, the garden saves both water and 
energy. 
The Sierra Madre Post Office Landscape Project is 
working to create a new landscape that saves water 
and highlights the beauty of native, drought tolerant 
plants. We also would like the landscaping at the Post 
Office to inspire members of the community to see 
what is possible for their yards. Imagine all the water 
that could be saved. 
Fortunately, FormLA has agreed to take the lead with 
the design of the Post Office Landscape Project. We 
are very fortunate to have their expert support and the 
assistance of their lead designer, Isara Ongwiseth. 
While FormLA is working on the design, the volun-
teers continue to work on the project site. Anyone who 
has driven by the Post Office has seen the difference. 
The old plants are gone. The tree that was hanging out 
into the street has been pulled back, staked and wa-
tered. Now the team is working on putting a boarder 
of river rock at the sidewalk edge to keep the dirt, wa-
ter and plants in the beds. Soon you will see them dig-
ging a swale at the corner of Baldwin and Mariposa so 
that rainwater that falls on the lot stays on the lot and 
doesn’t run down the gutter. Capturing the rainwater 
is an important element of saving valuable City water. 
In the future there will be community educational 
workshops at the site to show people how to install ir-
rigation systems, plant native plants and use mulch to 
control both weeds and evaporation. 
This project is a community based volunteer project. 
There are no City or US Post Office funds being used;
it is being funded entirely by community donations. 
The Sierra Madre Community Foundation, a 501(c)
(3) non-profit, will accept tax-deductable donations tofund all our work. 
Please donate to the Sierra Madre Community Foun-
dation, P.O. Box 716, Sierra Madre, CA 91025 and put 
“Post Office Landscape” on the memo line. You can 
also go on their web site and donate to the project us-
ing PayPal. 
THE STORY BEHIND THE SIERRA MADRE POST OFFICE 
LANDSCAPE PROJECT 
SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2022 VOLUME 16 NO. 16VOLUME 16 NO. 16 
real estate 
Jan Greteman 626.975.4033 
jan@jangreteman.com 
jangreteman.com #01943630 
Judy Webb-Martin 626.688.2273 
jwmartin@dppre.com #00541631 
Katie Orth 626.688.0418 
korth@dppre.com #00942500 
Your Story. Your Home. Your Team. 
Together Stronger. 
WebbMartinGroup.comWe continue to be so appreciative of all our clients 
whom we have been able to support. Despite everything, 
we are NEVER too busy to support you. Feel free to 
reach out to any of us with questions about the market 
and/or if you are interested in moving forward with 
selling or buying a home. 
Jan-March 2022 
Jan-March 2022 
Jan-March 2021 
Jan-March 2021 
Averages 
Averages 
Beds 
Beds 
3 
2 2 
3 
3 
2 3 
3 
2,124 
1,213 1,318 
2,036 
12,983 11,072 
$1,536,457 
$775,725 $775,725 
$1,266,656 
$1,685,789 
$788,750 $811,000 
$1,250,416 
$879 
$650 $624 
$659 
Baths 
Baths 
SF 
SF 
SF Lot 
Price SF 
Price SF 
List Price 
List Price 
Sold Price 
Sold Price 
Single-Family Homes Averages 
Condominiums Homes Averages 
AREA MARKET REPORT JAN-MARCH 2022 
Sierra Madre 
Prices of Single-Family Homes in Sierra Madre were up 
by a whopping 34% for the 1st quarter of 2022. 
It’s a great time to sell and we understand 
how to maximize your home’s value! 
1158 New York Drive 
Altadena 91001 
4 Beds | 2 Baths | 2,390 sf | 35,796 sf Lot 
1913 Farmhouse Listed at $1,998,000 
JUST LISTED 
8:30am to 2:00pm 
Saturday, April 23rd 
30 North Baldwin Avenue 
Sierra Madre, CA 91024 
Looking To Dispose Of 
Your Sensitive Documents? 
Stop by and drop-off 
your documents safely. 
1158NewYorkDr.comBy Bob Spears 
The driving forces be-
hind the Sierra Madre 
Post Office Landscape 
Project are varied, yet 
they all combine to 
inspire a whole com-
munity of volunteers 
to step up and make a 
difference. We all want 
to be proud of our pub-
lic places and hope that 
they reflect well on our 
City. This project is fu-
eled by that civic pride 
and funded by citi-
zens who contribute 
to the success of the 
endeavor. 
The initial inspiration 
for the project was the 
condition of the origi-
nal landscape. Installed 
when the building was 
dedicated in 1961, the 
landscape had become 
overgrown and mis-
shapen. There was no 
gardening service, per 
se, and Joe, the cus-
todian for the site, 
worked hard at trying 
to control the plants. 
The USPS does not al-
locate specific funds for landscaping, so the existing plants just kept getting bigger. Joe did a good job with what he had to deal with, but 
without proper support, he was outmatched over time. 
The second factor driving the project is the ongoing drought. Here’s a fun fact: 60-75% of the water used at any lot in Sierra Madre is put 
on the ground. You read that right; more than half the water provided by the City is used for landscaping. That is why the City passed the 
“Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance” in 2016. The purpose of the ordnance is to “promote the design, installation, and maintenance 
of landscaping in a manner that conserves regional water resources by ensuring that landscaping projects are not unduly water needy 
and that irrigation systems are appropriately designed and installed to minimize water waste”. The plants in front of the Post Office 
were being watered regularly with spray nozzles, the most inefficient method. On hot days, only 71% of the water was being used by the 
plants. The conservation of municipal water is the big reason why the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District has become the big-
gest supporter, so far, of this project. 
The third element that motivated the volunteers was 
the installation of the new landscaping at the Sierra 
Madre City Hall. One of the premiere landscaping 
companies in Los Angeles, FormLA, designed and in-
stalled a garden of native drought tolerant plants. The 
plants are watered by an efficient irrigation system 
that insures all the water gets to the plants and only 
when they need it. The garden at City Hall does not re-
quire weekly maintenance because native plants grow 
more slowly. In short, the garden saves both water and 
energy. 
The Sierra Madre Post Office Landscape Project is 
working to create a new landscape that saves water 
and highlights the beauty of native, drought tolerant 
plants. We also would like the landscaping at the Post 
Office to inspire members of the community to see 
what is possible for their yards. Imagine all the water 
that could be saved. 
Fortunately, FormLA has agreed to take the lead with 
the design of the Post Office Landscape Project. We 
are very fortunate to have their expert support and the 
assistance of their lead designer, Isara Ongwiseth. 
While FormLA is working on the design, the volun-
teers continue to work on the project site. Anyone who 
has driven by the Post Office has seen the difference. 
The old plants are gone. The tree that was hanging out 
into the street has been pulled back, staked and wa-
tered. Now the team is working on putting a boarder 
of river rock at the sidewalk edge to keep the dirt, wa-
ter and plants in the beds. Soon you will see them dig-
ging a swale at the corner of Baldwin and Mariposa so 
that rainwater that falls on the lot stays on the lot and 
doesn’t run down the gutter. Capturing the rainwater 
is an important element of saving valuable City water. 
In the future there will be community educational 
workshops at the site to show people how to install ir-
rigation systems, plant native plants and use mulch to 
control both weeds and evaporation. 
This project is a community based volunteer project. 
There are no City or US Post Office funds being used;
it is being funded entirely by community donations. 
The Sierra Madre Community Foundation, a 501(c)
(3) non-profit, will accept tax-deductable donations tofund all our work. 
Please donate to the Sierra Madre Community Foun-
dation, P.O. Box 716, Sierra Madre, CA 91025 and put 
“Post Office Landscape” on the memo line. You can 
also go on their web site and donate to the project us-
ing PayPal. 
THE STORY BEHIND THE SIERRA MADRE POST OFFICE 
LANDSCAPE PROJECT 
Sonya Sanders


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Useful Reference Links

Mountain Views News 80 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. #327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.604.4548 www.mtnviewsnews.com