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Mountain View News Saturday, January 25, 2025


Weather Wise


WALKING SIERRA MADRE -

 The Social Side by Deanne Davis

6-Day Forecast Sierra Madre, Ca.

It’s Monday, January 20th and I guess I’d call it a double-barreled 
day: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Inauguration Day. I came 
across this really excellent prayer of Dr. King’s and thought I’d pass 
it along: 

“Use me, God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be and 
what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself.”

Before I do anything else, I want to thank our Editor, Susan Henderson, 
for an extraordinarily excellent edition of the Mountain 
Views News last week. Every page had helpful information, experiences 
of our neighbors and news of what is happening in our local 
communities as the fires are still burning. Seeing that 14 homes 
were lost here in Sierra Madre was devastating. John and I walked 
so many times up in the Canyon where most of this destruction occurred 
and enjoyed those walks so much with the water in the wash trickling by, the quiet and peace. Christopher Nyerges, “Personal 
Account of the Great Fire of 2025” was harrowing to say the least. (Page 11).

Fred Thomas’s Letter to the Editor regarding the fact that the comment, “It’s Just Stuff,” meant to comfort those who have lost a lifetime 
of “stuff” is not helpful. We were in Hawaii some years ago and got home to find our house was robbed and that comment was 
made to us. We were already in shock and that didn’t help at all. Our things are not “Just Stuff.” They are the treasures of a lifetime. 
The things we have collected along the way through our lives that mean so much to us. Maybe just say, “I’m so sorry,” instead of, “It’s 
Just Stuff!”

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

So fitting for this time, this quote emphasizes the enduring nature of hope and its role in helping individuals and communities facing 
unthinkable challenges, reminding them that hope can outlast heartbreaking disappointments. With great relief I see that the Eaton 
fire is almost totally contained.

Yes, I watched the Inauguration. As soon as I saw that it was going to be held in the Capitol Rotunda instead of outside I was happy 
for everyone who was going to attend. In years past I have watched people bundled up to the eyebrows but still frozen and trying to 
look excited and happy when they could no longer feel their feet. Also, seeing what everyone was wearing instead of just a sub-zero- 
parka was pretty interesting. Let me tell you, there were some bad outfits there. I thought Mrs. Trump looked fabulous and the hat 
was purely a defense mechanism. When she first appeared and President Trump escorted her up the stairs to greet the Bidens, you 
couldn’t see her eyes at all. I think she is essentially kind of shy and all this is tough. Mrs. Vance, the Vice President’s wife, looked 
really nice in pink. 

Watching the former presidents and their wives entering was interesting. Bill Clinton and Hilary were first and she walked a couple 
of steps ahead of him and from their demeanor, you’d think they’d just had words in the car on the way! George and Laura Bush 
entered holding hands and looking happy. Barack Obama entered alone as Michelle stayed home in her jammies and watched it on 
TV with the heat on and lots of hot coffee.

I was so taken with the huge art pieces, each of which is 12’ x 18’, on the walls of the Rotunda that I looked them up to see what they 
were

Four revolutionary period scenes were commissioned by Congress from John Trumbull in 1817 and placed in the Rotunda between 
1819 and 1824:

• Declaration of Independence

• Surrender of General Burgoyne

• Surrender of Lord Cornwallis

• General George Washington Resigning his Commission

Four scenes of early exploration were added between 1840 and 1855:

• Landing of Columbus by John Vanderlyn

• Discovery of the Mississippi by William Powell

• Baptism of Pocahontas by John Chapman

• Embarkation of the Pilgrims by Robert Weir

The picture is The Declaration of Independence which depicts the moment on June 28, 1776 when the first draft of the Declaration 
of Independence was presented to the Second Continental Congress, as seen in the Capitol Rotunda

The introductory speeches by United States Senator Amy Klobuchar where she mentions our Los Angeles Firefighters and by United 
States Senator Deb Fischer were awesome. The invocations by Cardinal Dolan and Franklin Graham were truly inspirational. They 
both prayed for wisdom.

The music was fantastic. Carrie Underwood sang a flawless rendition of America the Beautiful a cappella when her music refused to 
play. The Naval Academy Glee Club performed the best version of Battle Hymn of the Republic I’ve ever heard.

There was so much more to comment upon but wherever your political heart lies, this 60th Inauguration ceremony was worth 
watching.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His loving kindness lasts forever.”

My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis

Take a look! There are interesting goodies galore for

You Kindle readers and even an actual book or two for you

“I need to hold it in my hands” readers.

 Sun Sunny Hi 60s Lows 40s 

 Mon: Sunny Hi 60s Lows 40s 

 Tues: Sunny Hi 60s Lows 40s 

 Wed: Sunny Hi 70s Lows 50s

 Thur: Sunny Hi 70s Lows 50s 

 Fri: Sunny Hi 70s Lows 50s

Forecasts courtesy of the National Weather Service

SIERRA MADRE CITY MEETINGS

SIERRA MADRE CITY 

COUNCIL MEETING

January 28, 2025 5:30pm

THIS MEETING WILL BE HELD 
IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS!

As part of the City of Sierra Madre’s 

COVID-19 transparency efforts and The 
Brown Act provides the public with an opportunity 
to make public comments at any 
public meeting. Public comment may also be 
made by e-mail to PublicComment@CityofSierraMadre.
com by 3:00 p.m. on the day of 
the meeting. 

Emails will be acknowledged at the Council 
meeting and filed into public record. The 
public may also comment in person at the 
meeting.

The meetings will be streamed live on Foothills 
Media website at foothillsmedia.org/sierramadre 
and broadcast on Government 

Access Channel 3 (Spectrum)..

1630 AM EMERGENCY RADIO & 

Free on-air publicity for local events

 Sierra Madre’s EMERGENCY radio station is now accepting scripts for 
Public Service Announcements (PSAs) about community events. PSAs 
will be broadcast on the air at no charge. The station operates 24/7 and can 
be heard at 1630 on the AM dial.

 Any local non-profit or non-commercial organization can have their 
event information broadcast to the public on Sierra Madre Community 
Information Radio. The station covers the city of Sierra Madre, plus 
surrounding areas of Pasadena, Arcadia, and Monrovia. 

Your event must:

• Benefit a non-commercial or non-profit entity
• Be open to the public
• Be of general interest to local citizens


Just 
write a Public Service Announcement that describes your event and 
e-mail it to radio@cityofsierramadre.com. 


THE NEXT PHASE FOR THE LIBRARY: FURNITURE, FIXTURES AND EQUIPMENT 

The City has awarded TSK Architects a $25,500 Consulting Services Contract to oversee the next phase of the Library Meaningful 
Improvement Project (LMIP).

The City Council approved the award during its regular meeting on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, as part of its consent calendar.

Over the last three years, Sierra Madre has received much-needed library renovations through grants and donations. In September 
2024, the City awarded AMG & Associates a general contractor services contract to make improvements, including retrofitting for 
earthquake protection, installing new windows, and upgrading the fire suppression systems.

In this latest phase, TSK will manage the selection, quoting, ordering, delivery, installation, and final walk-throughs of furniture, 
fixtures, and equipment for the LMIP. Donations from the Friends of the Sierra Madre Library will fund the work, and the library’s 
facility/capital improvement fund will cover the costs of the TSK contract. 

City staff reviewed three bids to design the library’s interior before selecting TSK. As the renovations continue at the library, located at 
440 W Sierra Madre Blvd., TSK architects will ensure that all building code standards are met. 

The new furniture will include: 

 

• Library Shelving 
Library Display Shelving 
Standalone Office Furniture - desks, tables, chairs, bookcases, filing cabinets, display cabinets, couches, etc. 
Library Seating – tables, chairs, benches, etc. 


Technology Furniture Fixtures include: 
Electric Fireplace – in the general reading room. 

• Lighting 
Wall-mounted boards – Whiteboards, corkboards, etc. 
Wayfinding Signage


This project will not utilize Sierra Madre General Funds. 

Three qualified companies sent their bid proposals to City Librarian Leila Regan. 

Company Name

Bid Amount

Proposal Received

TSK Architects

$25,000

07/03/2024

Yamada Enterprises

$9,000

08/21/2024

Margaret Sullivan Studio

$35,000

10/25/2024





According to a report by City Librarian Leila Regan, while Yamada Enterprises presented the lowest bid, their proposal did not 
include public meetings. It allowed for only three staff meetings for design input. Additional services or meetings would cost 
$175 per hour. Additionally, their proposal does not include overseeing furniture, fixtures, and equipment installation and ends at 
procurement. 

Margaret Sullivan Studio’s proposal is only part one of a two-step process. The $35,000 included in their proposal only covers the 
design development phase. The second step, which is not included in this proposal, will consist of procurement. 

TSK Architects’ proposal includes programming/meetings, selection, quoting, ordering, delivery, installation, and final walk-
throughs. Thus, it takes a more comprehensive and hands-on approach to the library’s furniture, fixtures, and equipment needs. 

It has not been announced when TSK will start this next phase of the Library Meaningful Improvement Project or when the work is 
expected to be completed. 

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