Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, December 10, 2022

Mountain Views-News Saturday, December 10, 2022 


I SIGNED THE PETITION FOR THE 
REFERENDUM Now what happens? 

Protect Sierra Madre had only 30 days to get signatures of 
10% of Sierra Madre voters, for an election (a referendum) 
to overturn the City Council's approval of the Meadows 
project. 1,300 signatures are now being reviewed by the 
County. Although some may be disqualified for technical 
reasons, we are certain to have enough qualified signatures 
for a referendum. 

When the Certification is received by the City Council, they will have 3 options - to rescind their approval, 
to schedule the election for Nov 2024, or to call an earlier special election. A special election is generally requested 
by the developer, who pays for that election. 

A vote to overturn City Council’s decision, approving The Meadows project, does not make any permanent 
change. It does, however, stop the Meadows project for at least a year. The Developer can present another 
housing project to the City Council a year after the vote. 

Because NUW has invested so much time and money in this project, there is NO question that they will return 
in a year with a project to develop the parcel. But, the people will send a clear message, by voting to overturn 
the approval, that they want the developer and the City Council to make changes in any project to develop the 
monastery parcel, and to consider the citizens' opinions in those changes. 

Property owners have a right to do with their property whatever is allowed by our ordinances and State law. 
They are allowed to sell their property and to receive fair market value for it. But our regulations ensure that 
the rights of one property owner can NOT negatively impact the rights of other residents. The safeguards of 
our ordinances allow the City to restrict or deny any development contrary to our General Plan policies and 
ordinances. 

Sierra Madre has established objective development standards to ensure that any development, whether reviewed 
by our Planning Department, Planning Commission or City Council, will be held to the same standards 
that have always limited overdevelopment in our City. 

We have protections in place - when our General Plan and Ordinances are fairly applied to EVERY applicant!
But because in 2020, an agreement between the City and the Passionists in Illinois, a “Memorandum Of Understanding” 
allowed a SPECIFIC PLAN for the Meadows Project, the Passionists were able to evade those 
protections in our ordinances that every other property owner is bound by. 

Citizens of Sierra Madre were never made aware of these negotiations during the water moratorium, or of the 
MOU, signed at a single meeting - during the Covid shutdown. 

The Council, before signing, never considered or discussed with the Citizens, any other option that might allow 
the Passionists a fair market price for their land, and ALSO protect the values of our General Plan. 
They never pursued with their constituents the possibility that funds might now be available to help the City 
buy and conserve the land, as everyone prefers. 

They never discussed with the Citizens whether the impacts of a development limited by our existing ordinances 
might be preferable to special privileges, extended to a single landowner. 
By voting to overturn the City Council's approval of the project, we citizens will make it clear - we do NOT 
think the project approved is the best plan for that parcel. 
We believe that the City Council should enforce the General Plan and Ordinances that protect the special 
nature of our town. And, most importantly, that they must consider the opinions of the residents who they 
have promised to represent. 


SIERRA MADRE POLICE BLOTTER 

The following represents a summary report of some of the major incidents handled 
by theSierra Madre Police Department during this period. This list is not intended 
to be considered exclusive or all-inclusive. 

Tuesday, November 29th Theft from Motor Vehicle 
At approximately 4 AM, officers responded to the 200 block of Adams St. for reports of a theft from 
motor vehicle. Upon arrival, the reporting party stated that the catalytic converter was stolen from 
his vehicle. A vehicle was seen fleeing from the area. The Detectives' Bureau is following up on this 
incident. 

Tuesday, November 29th Theft from Motor Vehicle 
At approximately 10 AM, officers responded to the 300 block of Auburn Ave for reports of a theft 
from motor vehicle. The reporting party discovered that unknown suspect(s) made entry to their 
vehicle and stole their wallet. The Detectives Bureau is following up on this incident 

Friday, December 3rd DUI Arrest 
At approximately 1 PM, officers responded to the 00 block of Esperanze Ave. for reports of a traffic 
collision that had just occurred. Upon arrival, the officers were met with the reporting party, who 
advised that one of the drivers from the collision was attempting to flee the scene. Officers found 
the suspect who was matching the description given from the reporting party. Officers observed the 
driver having the smell of alcohol coming from their person. Due to the results of the test, officers 
determined that the driver was unable to safely operate their vehicle, and they were placed under arrest 
for driving under the influence 


WALKING SIERRA MADRE - The Social Side 

by Deanne Davis 

CHRISTMAS! IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR! 

One of my favorite authors, Michelle Griep, 
who describes herself as, “an author, blogger, 
andoccasional super-hero when her cape is 
clean,” at one time published a daily blog, 
“Writer Off the Leash.” Here’s what she 
shared a while back and it’s so good I want 
to pass it along to all of you dear friends and 
neighbors. We’ve barely gotten Thanksgiving 
put away and Christmas is now just two 
weeks from tomorrow. Stress? Of course, 
stress! Some helpful advice about removing 
a little stress from your life can’t hurt a bit! 

Five Ways to Slay Holiday StressChange Your Perspective 

Sometimes all that needs to be slain is your 
mindset. This season, take a good, hard 
look at all you are doing and then question 
everything. You could be stressing yourself 
out because of expectations and values 
that aren’t really yours. Examine what your 
core beliefs are and live those out; not some 
totally imaginary Hallmark Christmas movie ideals. 


Let Go 

Who says you need to do it all? Unless you’re Martha Stewart, you don’t have to. Besides, 
she has Minions to fetch and carry for her. You probably don’t. Choose 1 item 
to cut from your must-get-done-before Christmas list and just say no. I’m not talking 
simply crossing it off your list, I’m saying cut it out and throw it away for good. Maybe 
you’ll decide not to do cards anymore or bake 6 different kinds of cookies. Whatever. 
The point is to stop doing 1 activity and give yourself that time to do something you 
really want to do…like watch one of those Hallmark Christmas movies. 

Plan Ahead 

Obviously, you’re not going to cut everything from your holiday season. Decide on 
what you’ll keep. Remember, you are being proactive by choosing what you will keep 
and what you won’t then whip out your calendar and plan those things into your 
schedule. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Putting things off till the last minute 
causes undue anxiety. Decorating for Christmas inside and out seems to be one of the 
things that’s at the top of just about everybody’s list so go ahead and enjoy that. But 
only do as much as you really want to do. 

Shop Online 

Books make great gifts and are just a click away. So is just about everything you can 
imagine. You’ll avoid crowds and save time (and gas) driving to and from various 
stores and malls. Yes, you might end up paying for shipping (unless you’re a wise Amazon 
Prime customer) but in the long run, if it saves you time and energy, it’s totally 
worth it. 

Say No 

This one is the hardest of all because you want to have fun as much as the next guy, 
right? Or your heart is big and you want to help everyone who has a need. Or you just 
plain old don’t want others to think badly of you if you just don’t have the time or 
energy to serve on their committee or be one of Santa’s Elves for Pictures with Santa. 
Dear friend, in order to lessen your stress, you might just need to start saying no. And 
if you do, guess what? Everyone will still love you and there will be someone else who 
can do what you can’t. 

“Stressed spelled backwards is Desserts!” 

“As we struggle with shopping lists and invitations, it is good to be reminded that 
there are people in our lives who are worth this aggravation; and people to whom we 
are worth the same.” Donald E. Westlake 

“Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas…perhaps… 
means a little bit more!” Dr. Seuss “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” 

There now, don’t you feel better? Take a breath, or two or three, drive ‘round town and 
enjoy everyone’s lights and decorations and remember this precious truth: Jesus is the 
reason for theseason! Go to a Christmas concert. Watch one of the Christmas movies 
on the Hallmark channel. Tell someone you love them. And smile. A lot! 

One final thought… last Wednesday, December 7th, was Pearl Harbor Day, observedannually to remember and honor the 2,403 Americans who were killed in the surprise 
attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, which led to the United 
States declaring war on Japan the next day and thus entering World War II. President 
Franklin D. Roosevelt stated in his address to the Nation on December 8th that December 
7th is: “A day that will live in infamy.” 

I’m hoping all your Christmas memories this year are merry and bright, and all the 
gifts you receive are exactly what you wanted and all the gifts you give are exactly what 
they wanted, too. 

The picture this week is a Christmas memory. Seeing The Nutcracker. 

“Christmas, it’s almost here! My favorite, favorite time of year!
Think mistletoe and holly, children’s faces jolly.
Carols on the radio, happy smiles each place you go..” 

Whatever kind of tree you have, fake or fantastically real that fills the house with that 
marvelous evergreen smell, I hope decorating it brings you joy and pleasant memories. 
One of the things that will definitely bring you joy is to shop and dine right here 
in town. You might even walk downtown to shop and enjoy our beautiful Christmas 
decorations. Kersting Court has never been lovlier. 

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…” Is. 9:6 

My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis 
Christmas is just a few short weeks away and my book:
“Sunrises and Sunflowers Speak Hope”
Would be a really nice gift for everyone you know. It’s on Amazon.com“Star of Wonder” a delightful Christmas Kindle story, where four lonely people find 
love following a strange new star on Christmas Eve, is there, too. 


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