Mountain View News Saturday, December 27, 2025 

Weather Wise 

6-Day Forecast Sierra Madre, Ca. 



Sun Sunny Hi 60s Lows 40s 
Mon: Sunny Hi 60s Lows 40s 
Tues: Sunny Hi 60s Lows 40s 
Wed: Sunny Hi 60s Lows 40s 
Thur: Sunny Hi 60s Lows 50s 
Fri: Sunny Hi 60s Lows 50s

 Forecasts courtesy of the National Weather Service 


SIERRA 
MADRE CITY 
COUNCIL 
MEETING 

January 6, 2026 5:30 pm 

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 CommunityInformation 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. 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra 

WALKING SIERRA MADRE: 

The Social Side by Deanne Davis 

“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in 
the living room on Christmas Day. Don’t clean it up too quickly, it is 
memories and hopes fulfilled.” 
Andy Rooney 

“What is Christmas? It is the tenderness of the past, courage for the 
present, and hope for the future.” Agnes M. Pahro 

“Love came down at Christmas; love all lovely, love divine.
Love was born at Christmas, stars and angels gave the sign.” Christina 
Rosetti 

The picture this week is a Kersting Court snowman from a couple 
of years ago. Our snowman this year seemed to have had a hard 
life and I’m sure would not like his picture in the paper. You know,
like most of us, we’re never seriously in love with our pictures and 
I expect he wouldn’t be, either.

“Angels sang, shepherds came,

And joy was born on Christmas,

Hope was born on Christmas!” 

I’m having trouble believing Christmas has finally come and gone 
again. It seems to have snuck quietly up on us. Yes, we shopped,
decorated, baked, wrapped, spent (Oy! Have we spent!). We did 
something new this year for food: We got a whole lot of food platters 
at the market, i.e., cheese, pepperoni and crackers, fruit, veggies 
and with a little adult eggnog, it was the most pleasant way to 
keep everybody filled with whatever their little heart desired all 
day long, before and after the presents were attacked. 

I think everyone is happy with their loot. Emily decided she did not 
want driving lessons yet, so that plan was discarded in favor of an 
incredibly expensive sweatshirt put out by her favorite singing star,
Laufey, and an Ulta gift card. Jessie, who loves shirts with pockets 
got five new ones and another incredibly complicated puzzle. All 
the adult children and the little children in our family got gift cards 
in varying denominations and can enjoy them whenever they want 
to dine out or online shop.. Needless to say, after a really pleasant 
morning, we were all ready for a nap. 

Now, a few days later, we can sit down, take a breath and give ourselves 
a minute to recuperate before we start planning for the New 
Year. 2025 passed with what felt like the speed of light andnow 2026 is lurking just around the corner. I’m planning to 
leave Christmas up just a little longer, and not be too quick to 
de-Christmas-ify. 

This beautiful piece, “Directions For Planting,” lives at the bottom 
of my Christmas card basket. I’ve passed it on to you before but 
this might be the perfect way to end a year which has had itsups and downs for all of us, and help us look forward to a New Year 
bright with promise and hope. 

“Directions For Planting,” was taken from the writings of Margaret 
Hooper Ineson, a precious 
saint of God and beloved member of our family. Born November 
22, 1904, she entered the gatesof heaven November 11, 2000, just a few days short of her 96th 
birthday. She lived her entire life according to her “Directions For 
Planting.” We hope these seeds take root in your mind and heart. 

Directions For Planting 

Plant 5 Rows of Peas: Preparedness, Promptness, Perseverance, Politeness, 
Prayer 

Plant 3 Rows of Squash: Squash Gossip, Squash Criticism, Squash 
Indifference 


AN UPHILL DRIVE TO BETTER TRANSPORTATION IN SIERRA MADRE 

Plant 4 Rows of Lettuce: Let Us Be Faithful, Let Us Be Unselfish, Let 
Us be Truthful, Let Us Love One Another 

Plant 4 Rows of Turnips: Turn Up for Where We’re Needed, Turn Up 
with a Smile, Turn Up with New Ideas, Turn Up with Determination 

“What a wonderful story it is, The Christmas Story. Only God could 
have thought of it!” Norman Vincent Peale 

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping 
watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to 
them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were 
terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you 
good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the 
town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ, the Lord...
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the 
angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on 
earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:8-13 

I know that passage from Luke was in last week’s paper, but I just 
wanted to share it with you one more time. Were we ready for 
Christmas? I think we were. We kept in mind the Reason for the 
Season, we smiled at everyone we met, we had fun and laughed a 
lot and I’m sure you did, too. One last “Merry Christmas” before we 
start thinking of the word we choose to start our New Year. Will it 
be Hope, Joy, Peace? Or maybe all of those. Merry Christmas mydear friends. May God bless you and keep you and make His face to 
shine upon you and give you peace…and joy…and hope! 

My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis Christmas is over, but 
my book: 

“Sunrises and Sunflowers Speak Hope”
Would be a really nice gift for all the people you forgot to give 
something to. 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. If you’d like a little preview, take a look at: https:// 
youtu.be/Ka1KYrONrd0 

By Kevin McGuire 

In 2023, Mountain Views News first reported on the dwindling 
transportation options in Sierra Madre and on in-service buses 
that are ready to be put out to pasture due to reaching their “end 
of use” status. You may have heard stories of students and other 
residents hiking up to Foothill Blvd. to catch the closest public 
transit to school and work. 

City Council was approaching the second hour of their regular 
meeting on Tuesday, December 9th, when they were presented with 
an update on the direction of Sierra Madre local transportation 
and some program options. 

James Carlson, Senior Management Analyst, gave a presentation 
to start the discussion. So, what’s been happening over the past 
two years? Has the City made progress? Or has the idea of better 
transit stalled with a flat tire on the side of the road? 

According to Carlson, over the past two years, the Local 
Transportation Ad Hoc Subcommittee has worked “diligently to 
improve local transportation.” The Subcommittee collaborated 
with the Public Works Department to redesign Sierra Madre’s 
Local Transportation Program in hopes of restoring regional 
connectivity and better serving local needs. 

As a result of these efforts, Metro Line 268 to Sierra Madre 
returned to action with a “revised fixed-route concept” connecting 
to Pasadena, Arcadia, Foothill Transit, and the Metro L Line 
(formerly the Gold Line). This helped serve area schools, get folks 
to shopping areas, gyms, and parks. 

But it’s been an uphill struggle to reach an agreement on new 
local transportation programs. In July 2024, the City issued 
a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the operation of a new local 
transportation program and received two submittals. According 
to the report, A San Jose-based airport shuttle contractor was 
deemed non-responsive due to a lack of relevant experience. The 
second proposal from the City’s current contractor, Transdev 
(formerly First Transportation), for consideration was now the 
only proposal. 

But on October 17, 2025, the Public Works Department 
concluded that Transdev’s final offer, which Carlson said, “even 
more significantly reduced hours and services,” and was not 
financially sustainable beyond an estimated five-year period, and 
would deplete reserves from Proposition A, which is a half-cent 
sales tax dedicated to transportation funding. In other words, it 
was more than the city budget could handle. 

As a result, at the December 9th meeting, Public Works 
recommended that the City Council reject the current 
Transdev proposal, reconvene the Local Transportation Ad Hoc 
Subcommittee, and authorize development and release of a new 
RFP that refines the service model. They hope for a plan that 
addresses the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and cost 
concerns, preserves Proposition A, reserves funds for long-term 
program viability, and attracts multiple qualified proposals, 
according to Carlson’s presentation. Carlson also said the 
Subcommittee will review “lessons learned” from the previous 
RFP experience, and suggested to Councilmember Edward Garcia 
that “they should cut bait with Transdev.” 

Currently, the entire local transportation program in Sierra Madre 
is funded by Prop A. The city receives an estimated $172,000 
annually into Fund 37004 (Local Transportation Prop A), which 
has a balance of about $ 1,128,000 to date. 

As many remember, there used to be a limited mid-day fixed-
route service, which had a weekday dial-a-ride service for day 
trips, but annual boardings declined from more than 11,000 in2012 to roughly 2,450 by 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic in 
2020 added salt to the wound with a greater decline, prompting 
the City Council to create the Local Transportation Ad Hoc 
Subcommittee. In addition, one of the “end of use” buses met its 
final demise in the summer of ’24. 

The Subcommittee mailed surveys, conducted outreach, and 
pinpointed community priorities, including stronger connections 
to regional transit systems, access to Pasadena high schools, and 
improved service to businesses, grocery stores, and restaurants. 
People surveyed also wanted connections to trailheads such as 
Bailey Canyon and Mt. Wilson. 

According to Carlson, issuing a new RFP would pave the way 
to develop a new service design, ensure ADA compliance, and 
explore alternatives such as vehicle purchase or lease (including 
potential electric vehicles). Carlson noted that he is currently indiscussion with Enterprise Fleet Rentals as a possible option for 
100% electric shuttle buses. The downfall Carlson pointed out is 
the cost and man-power to service these vehicles. Other options 
include considering internal part-time drivers or turn-key 
operators, such as Circuit Transportation, which uses its vehicles 
to service the City of Whittier. The city would also seek ways to 
secure more funding, work within more precise cost parameters, 
and, hopefully, attract more than one qualified proposal. 

In response to Mayor Robert Parkhurst’s question about overall 
plans moving forward, Director Carlson highlighted working with 
California Consulting to apply for a grant to fund a comprehensive 
circulation program with Caltrans. “We feel pretty good about 
our application. We’ll see how it goes,” said Carlson. According to 
the Caltrans website, the circulation programs focus on creatingintegrated, multimodal transport systems. The grant would be 
for $300,000 and would include access to the Citizens AdvisoryGroup. The city will find out in June 2026 if it is approved for the 
grant. 

After a short discussion, which included talk of reaching out to 
neighboring cities for use of their Dial-A-Ride system, or usingUber, Lyft, or a taxi service as a temporary stopgap solution, the 
City Council decided to reject the current Transdev proposal 
unanimously, reconvene the Local Transportation Ad Hoc 
Subcommittee, authorize development and release of a new RFP, 
and seek temporary stopgap solutions. 

So, with anything in government, projects take time, in some 
cases, a long time. But if the city can turn around a quick plan to 
temporarily provide transportation to grocery stores for people in 
need, and an approved grant and a better long-term strategy are in 
the works, the wheels may be moving in the right direction. 

Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com