Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, November 19, 2022

3 Mountain Views-News Saturday, November 19, 2022 HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 3 Mountain Views-News Saturday, November 19, 2022 HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 
LEONORA MOSS CELEBRATES 25 YEARS AS 
SIERRA MADRE BUSINESS 

“So many customers walk through the door and 
shop in Sierra Madre. To say it’s been an incred


exclaim, ‘Wow, it smells so good in here,’” Lorie 
ible couple decades is an understatement! 

says. “And they soon find themselves discovering 
something delightful or out of the ordinary 

Leonora Moss began in 1983 in a garage, where 

in various corners of our shop. We love creating a 

co-owner Judith Brandley worked as a florist for 

unique experience for our customers.” 

weddings and other events. During that time, her 
daughter, Lorie Westmoreland, joined her for a 

Through a recession, a pandemic, and more, the 
few years and the two kept talking about opening 

shop has remained a Sierra Madre institution, 
up a shop together. 

with incredible support from the local community. 
Even customers who’ve moved far away always 

In September 1997, it finally happened. The duo 

come back to visit, and stay connected through 

opened their first brick-and-mortar store at the 

social media. 

historic Hotel Shirley building in Sierra Madre. 
Named for Judith’s grandmother Leonora (with 

“Everybody said we wouldn’t make it when we 
the Moss to represent a staple of every florist), 

first started out,” Judith says. “We weren’t afraid, 
Leonora Moss, a full-service florist, has offered 

though, if it didn’t work because we’d still have 
flowers, gifts, decor, and always a bit of some-

our flower business. We didn’t let things stop us 
thing extra. The store moved to its current loca


and our customers have been really good to us 
tion at 9 Kersting Court in fall 2003. 

throughout these 25 years. We’ve been blessed 
with good customers and good employees, many 

Leonora Moss remains a family business, as many 

of whom are Sierra Madre residents!” 

might recognize Judith’s husband, Ron, as the delivery 
person for their flowers. Ron also manages 

On Small Business Saturday, November 26, 2022, 
the business, navigates the flower market like an 

Leonora Moss will celebrate its 25th Anniversary 
expert, and keeps the shop humming along, in-

at the Sierra Madre Winter Festival. They invite 
cluding supplying the champagne for the store’s 

the community to join them at their booth out in 
infamous Champagne Fridays! 

Kersting Court and or stop by the shop for your 

holiday wares. 
Florist Jill Forder joined the shop 18 years ago, 
and has been invaluable ever since as a designer 

Thank you to everyone for your support. We’re so 
and friend. “She has become one of our family,” 

grateful for each of you! 
Lorie says about Jill. 


THE SIERRA MADRE ROSE 
FLOAT ASSOCIATION 
NEEDS YOU! 

We have opened the online sign-up program 

for decorating the Sierra Madre Rose Float, 

entitled “Papa’s Turn”, during Deco Week, De


cember 26 to January 1st (the parade is on Jan


uary 2nd). Sign up through our website www.

sierramadrerosefloat.org/getinvolved/volun


teer/decorate. Please read the guidelines, then 

sign up through iVolunteer. If you have difficulty 
signing up or have questions, please email us at info@sierramadrerosefloat.org. 

If you have a group of 8 or more, you need to schedule a time by completing the Application 
for Group of Volunteers form (there is a link at the bottom of the Volunteer 
Guidelines page) and return it to volunteer@sierramadrerosefloat.org. See you at the 
barn! 

From left to right: Owner Judith Brandley, Leslie Freiberger, Camila Ryder, Ron Brandley, 
Marianne Siberell, owner Lorie Westmoreland, Emma Devlin, and Jill Forder. 

Twenty five years ago, Leonora Moss opened up 


IN THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON: 

ST. RITA MEN'S CLUB VISITS CLIMB BEARING GIFTS 

On Wednesday, the St. Rita's Men's Club presented CLIMB with headphones and adjustable bed 
rail to make life a little easier for their residents. Daniel Sosa, President said the Club held a fun-
draiser (golf tournament) so that they could reach out and do something meaningful to a group in 
need. They chose CLIMB. 

Located on W. Sierra Madre Blvd,since 1977 the facility holds 40 residents in the Sierra Madre 
Blvd. locationCLIMB (Center for Living Independence for the Multi Handicap Blind), provides 
residential and transitional services for people with visual challenges. Alexis Boxer, Director of 
Operations expressed her appreciation to SRMC for their donation. Pictured above are Daniel 
Sosa, President and Justin Smith, Vice President presenting the gifts to the residents. 

MORE ABOUT BEARS......by Glenn Lambdin 


For those that watched Tuesday night’s Zoom 

The CDFW presenter, Jessica West, even 
meeting with the California Department of 

went as far as to suggest that the overpopula-
Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) discussing the 

tion and exponentially increasing population 
current increasing problems of bears enter-

of urbanized bears in Sierra Madre is the fault 
ing homes, school lockdowns, and bears rou


of the residents and their “attractants.” And 
tinely roaming and scavenging the streets of 

according to West, an unopened sealed canSierra Madre, it didn’t take long to realize the 

of beans in your kitchen pantry qualifies asinformation presented was the same regurgi


an attractant. West also suggests that Sierratated nonsense and misleading euphemisms 

Maderans keep all doors and windows locked 
that were presented two years ago. 

at all times unless you are in that specific

room. She also suggested putting an electric 
The presentation, while obviously avoiding 

fence around one’s yard. 
and failing to even hint at how the failed policies 
of the CDFW created and continues to 

I believe we have reasonable expectations onfacilitate the urbanized bear population in 

how we live in urban neighborhoods. BeingSierra Madre, it was a reckless display of mis-

expected to no longer keep a door opened withguided practices that attempts to convince, if 

just a screen door in order to get fresh air intonot con, residents to think that “coexisting” 

our homes is not a reasonable expectation.
with bears in historically urban residential 

Being told you should carry bear spray or 
neighborhoods throughout the Greater Los 

bear horns to work in your garden or walkAngeles metropolitan is a better solution than 

through your neighborhood is not normal oridentifying and correcting the 22 years of the 

reasonable. It is reasonable to prohibit wildCDFW’s failed wildlife management policies 

bears from freely roaming and scavenging forthat created and facilitated the overpopula


food in an urban residential neighborhoodtion of urbanized bears. 

or schoolyard. To say residents need to

change normal behaviors to accomodate the 
Coexist with wild bears? Seriously? For the 

failures of the CDFW is not not reasonable. 
life of me, I can’t imagine how anyone could 

It is irresponsible and dangerous to allow the 
keep a straight face and try to convince Sierra 

CDFW to continue on the path they have 
Madreans that it is acceptable to “coexist” 

chosen; a path that has created a continuous 
with wild bears in an urban residential neigh-

pattern of hazardous situations and increasing 
borhood. I can’t imagine any rational or logi


threats to public safety. 
cal thought process that could conclude thatit is acceptable to allow bears to meander and 

The CDFW has refused to take any 
scavenge in school yards and urban residen


responsibility for their failures and has 
tial neighborhoods. What could possibly be 

not been held accountable. They somehow 
more foolish or reckless? What could possi


continue to justify and hide their failures 
bly go wrong? 

by placing the blame on typical residential 
lifestyles and Sierra Maderans in general. 


From All of Us to All of You... 
Happy Thanksgiving 


INSIDE MOUNTAIN VIEWS NEWS THIS WEEK 

MORE SIERRA MADRE NEWS.................... Page 3 

FROM OUR THANKSGIVING KITCHEN ..,,,,,..Page 10 

MORE ABOUT BEARS...................................Page 3 

EDUCATION & YOUTH.......................................Page 11 

WALKING SIERRA MADRE...........................Page 4 

What Parents Should Know About RSV 

CALENDAR......................................................Page 5 

BEST FRIENDS......................................................Page 13 

PASADENA...................................................... Page 6 

THE GOOD LIFE...................................................Page 14 

ALTADENA/SAN MARINO............................Page 7 

OPINION................................................................Page 15 

ARCADIA/MONROVIA/DUARTE.................Page 8 

LEGAL NOTICES...............................................Page 16/17

AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY.................Page 9 

DINING WITH DILLS 

SPORTS..............................................................Page 18/19 

Your Mountain Views News Family 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 
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