SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2023 

VOLUME 17 NO. 50VOLUME 17 NO. 50

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KELLY KRIEBS TAKES HELM AS MAYOR; ROBERT 
PARKHURST SELECTED AS MAYOR PRO TEM

HOMETOWN HERO JOHN 
SHEAR PASSES AWAY


Photos courtesy Benoit Photo/MVNews Archives

Beloved Sierra Madrean John Shear passed away on December 
12th of natural causes. He was 102. His family 
posted news of his death on social media, "He had that 
smile and happiness 'til the end,"..... "John had a remarkable 
life with love for family and dedication to work that 
made such a positive impact on so many. He will forever 
be in our hearts."

John will best be remembered for his heroic act at age 90, 
when he risked his own life to save the life of a 5 year old 
girl at Santa Anita Race Track. He threw himself in front 
of a horse in order to save the little girl's and as a result he 
was badly injured. His bravery was praised around the 
world and earned him numerous honors. 

A former jockey, he was a gaurd in the paddock at Santa 
Anita and at one time Hollywood Park since 1962. Afteer 
recovering from his injuries, he went back to the work 
that he loved so well until his retirement. At Santa Anita, 
they named a race after him on his 100th birthday and 
also honored him by renaming the Santana Mile to the 
John Shear Mile.

In Sierra Madre he was the city's HomeTown Hero. For 
his 100th birthday in 2021 family, friends and well wishers 
gave him a 'drive by birthday party in front of his 
home. He stood outside waving and smiling to all who 
passed by.

John is survived by his wife Diane and son Michael. As 
posted by the family, services will be private.

To read more about John Shear and his bravery go to: 
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v05/htm/n12/p01.htm) 

S.Henderson/MVNews

By Kevin McGuire

 It’s that time of the year. With the holiday 
season in full swing and the city decorated 
with lights and holly, it could only 
mean one thing. It’s time for a new Mayor 
and Mayor Pro Tem in Sierra Madre. 

 The City Council met before a modest 
crowd on Tuesday, December 12, for the 
last meeting of 2023. As part of the final 
agenda item for the night, Mayor Edward 
Garcia presented Mayor Pro Tem Kelly 
Kriebs with a “Recognition of Service” 
plaque featuring a small gavel. “I appreciate 
you supporting my role over the past 
year,” Mayor Garcia said. “The City of Sierra 
Madre is immensely fortunate to have 
you sitting on this Council. I feel we made 
a good team this year.”

 Garcia and Kriebs received Certificates 
of Recognition honoring their “outstanding 
and dedicated service to the City of Sierra 
Madre” on behalf of Assemblymember 
Chris Holden of the 41st California 
Assembly District. Director of Communications 
and Field Representative Timme 
Mackie presented the Certificates. 

 In addition, the Mayor and Mayor Pro 
Tem also received Certificates of Recognition 
from the Office of Representative Judy 
Chu. “We want to thank you for your commitment 
and for making Sierra Madre one 
of the best places to live,” said Senior Field 
Representative Maile Plan, who presented 
the Certificates. 

 Mayor Pro Tem Kriebs thanked Mayor 
Garcia for his service as well. “As Mayor, 
Mayor Pro Tem, and Councilmember, he 
has really done an amazing job over the 
last three years, and we look forward to 
another year of service,” stated Kriebs. “As 
Mayor, he takes his responsibility seriously. 
He takes calls from citizens; he is also 
proactively addressing city concerns; he is 
always prepared and diving into issues at 
hand,” she said. 

 In recognition of Mayor Garcia’s service, 
Mayor Pro Tem Kriebs presented him 
with a “Recognition of Service” plaque 
featuring a detachable gavel, a certificate 
for dedication to service signed by the 
City Council, and a Certificate of Recognition 
from the Office of Senator Anthony 
Portantino.

 “I want to thank the community for letting 
me be at the helm this past year,” said 
Mayor Garcia. “It’s been a good year. It’s 
been a year of progress for Sierra Madre.” 
The Mayor mentioned the many “inherited” 
infrastructure projects that the city 
started tackling this past year, including 
the water main replacement project, a topic 
of discussion and debate earlier in the 
evening. He also thanked Councilmember 
Gene Goss for his guidance as Mayor when 
he first started serving on the Council. 

 Once all recognitions had been acknowledged, 
it was time to select a new 
Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem. Councilmember 
Goss motioned to choose Kelly Kriebs 
as the next Mayor and Councilmember 
Robert Parkhurst as the new Mayor Pro 
Tem. Councilmember Kristine Lowe 
made the second motion, and it passed 
unanimously. 

continued on page 3


Eileen Benson626.278.0187CalRE# 01880650Barbara Rogers626.484.8135CalRE# 01169115Not intended as a solicitation if your property is already listed by another broker. Affi liated real estate agents are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2023 Coldwell Banker. All 
Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offi ces which are 
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Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.
Our Homes are only as important 
as the people inside them.
May yours be fi lled with Love, 
Laughter, Shared Memories,
Favorite Recipes, Lots of Treatsand Good Health.
We look forward to meeting you 
all in the New Year and Helping 
to Make Your Real Estate Dreams 
Come True !!!
Warmly, Barbara and EileenHAPPY HOLIDAYSWe Wish you all a Magical Holiday Seasonwith your Family and Friends
WORKING TOGETHER IN THE SPIRIT 
OF THE SEASON














 



The Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs of Sierra Madre wish to 
thank our community for their contributions to the Marine 
Corps Reserve dDDD”Toys For Tots”. 

We would also like to thank the Fire and Police Departments, 
Taylor’s Market, and Syndicate Coffee & Bakery 
for allowing us to place boxes at their sites. 

Many boxes of toys were collected and taken to the Marine 
Center on Thursday, December 14th for sorting and 
distributing to children in the San Gabriel Valley this 
Christmas. A volunteer group from Disney was on site 
helping sort the toys by age, gender, and type.. Sargent 
Robert Palmer stated that these presents will be placed 
in holding bin and picked up by those families in need 
this Christmas. Anything not distributed will be donated 
to Children's’ Hospital. 

Pictured above, l to r: Barry Ziff, Judy Webb-Martin, 
Mary Lou Caldwell - Kiwanis; Julia Brady, Jeff Porter, 
John Cigna and in the rear, Geoff Woods - Rotarians.

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