VOLUME 20 NO. 16VOLUME 20 NO. 16SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2026 
SPRINGTIME IN PARIS! 
VOLUME 20 NO. 16VOLUME 20 NO. 16SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2026 
SPRINGTIME IN PARIS! 
Springtime in Paris was the theme for this year’s 
Sierra Madre Civic Clubs annual luncheon and 
auction. The auction was held on April 11, 2026, 
at St. Rita’s O’Malley Hall; it was quite the event;
hosting over two hundred guests with the hope 
of raising over 20,000 dollars! Everyone had a 
wonderful time. 

The Sierra Madre Civic Club (SMCC) has been 
a part of Sierra Madre’s community since 1944. 
Through the years the Club has made it a priority 
to fund raise for worthy causes within the 
community. This year was no exception. 

The SMCC gives its proceeds to both community 
not-for-profit organizations as well as giving 
money to high school seniors that live and/or 
work in Sierra Madre to help them with college 
tuition and books. 

The SMCC could not give any of the gifts without 
the generous donations of our merchant 
partners. This year was exceptional; receiving 
very generous donations from Sierra Madre merchants, 
our own club members; as well as outside 
community merchants that really stepped up to 
help! 

SMCC wants to give a big thank you to all the 
merchants and SMCC members that went above 
and beyond the call of duty with their donations! 

A list is provided below of all the merchants who 
gave; again, we cannot thank you enough! Know 
from our volunteer hearts that you, the merchants 
and members have done great service for 
our community. 

Alitalia Restaurant 
Arnold's Hardware 
Boston Court 
Brookside Golf Club 
Burrito ExpressCasa Del ReyCatherine Adde/ The Travel StoreChantry 1975Cheesecake FactoryCity of Sierra Madre 
Creative Arts GroupDMS Facility ServicesE. Waldo Ward 
Foothill HomeCare Partners 
Frausto FamilyHair by Jamie LynnHair Time- Mary DumasHuntington LibraryLittle Flower Cafe 
Lord EmpanadaLA County Arboretum 
Massage by MarceeMerry MaidsMonrovia Tech 
Newport CruisesOnly Place in Town38 West Barbers 
Pie N'Burger 
Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum 
Santa Anita Race Track 
Sierra Madre Massage CompanySierra Madre PlayhouseStinkin'Crab Restaurant 
TaylorsThe Bottle ShopThe Buccaneer 
TwoheysUnbound Dance Studio 
Wild Parrot Brewing Co.
YMCA of Sierra Madre and Pasadena 

INSIDE THIS WEEK 
SIERRA MADRE NEWS....................Page 3 
PASADENA NEWS............................Page 4 
AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY...Page 5 
EDUCATION & YOUTH ..................Page 6 
FOOD & DRINK...............................Page 7 
THE GOOD LIFE..............................Page 8 
BEST FRIENDS.................................Page 9 

MIND & BODY..................................Page10 

OPINION.........................................Page11

Stuart Tolchin 

Rich Johnson 

Howard HayesLEGAL NOTICES............................ Page13 

BREAKING NEWS: 

EARLY MORNING POLICE ACTIVITY 
IN SIERRA MADRE

 On April 17, 2026, at approximately 5 :00 a.m., the Sierra Madre Police Department, with the 
assistance of the Foothill Special Enforcement Team (FSET), served a search warrant in the 200 
block of Grove Street in the City of Sierra Madre as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation. 
During the operation, three subjects were detained without incident and subsequently booked 
at the Pasadena Jail. 

One subject was arrested for possession of narcotics for sale. The second subject was arrested 
for a felony No bail warrant. A third subjects was arrested on outstanding felony warrants, bail 
set at $100,000. This investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information is encouraged 
to contact the Sierra Madre Police Department. SMPD/MVNews 

COUNCIL CONSIDERS CHANGES IN FEE 
SCHEDULE FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS 

By Mandy Tzoc Rodriguez/MVNews 

On Tuesday, the Sierra Madre City Council 
discussed the town’s finances which included 
the possibility of imposing fees for community 
events. 

Currently, the city requires and organizations 
pay for permits to hold events, however the 
suggested changes would increase those fees 
substantially. 

The proposed Sierra Madre Special Events 
Policy focuses on providing a framework on,
“managing special events on City property 
and within public rights-of-way.” It categorizes 
three event types, City-Produced, City-Sponsored, 
Applicant-Drive, with cost recovery 
expectations and the involvement of the City. 
As well, the policy would establish a two-level 
sponsorship approval system that allows for,
“administrative flexibility for the City Manager 
while ensuring City Council oversight for larger 
financial and operational commitments.” 

Historically, parks, city facilities and special 
event permit fees were generally waived. 
However, city staff are reqiestomg operational 
guidance in order to resolve challenges with 
an undefined framework and managing the 
workload and recovering costs for the City. 
Yet, various Sierra Madre nonprofit organizations 
are concerned that the new fees will dissolve 
the community events as many are unable 
to pay for those costs and are volunteer 
driven making little profit. 

Resident Leslie Ziff spoke on behalf of the Sierra 
Madre Historical Society, The Friends of 
the Library and the Chamber of Commerce 
on how those representing the local nonprofits 
have concerns with the new policy creatingfees that are unattainable for them. 

“If it wasn’t for our local volunteers, the nonprofit 
groups, many of the events that occur 
within our city would not happen.” 

With concerns from the community, the CityCouncil has provided guidance to the CityManager to return back to the proposed policy 
and determine what are city events or not, 
what is city sponsored, and what their intent 
is (whether a fundraiser for them or an event 
on its own) while seeking input from the 
community. 

Events such as the annual ArtWalk, Winter 
Village and Wistaria Festival are events designed 
to assist local businesses and showcase 
our community to visitors. Currently, these 
events barely break even. Under the newly proposed 
policies, these events would likely cease 
to exist or be modified to the point of being 
unrecognizable, resulting in a loss of sales tax 
revenue and marketing opportunities for the 
city. 

The SM Chamber of Commerce asked city 
staff and the Council 

(continued on page 3) 

Judy Webb-Martin 
626.688.2273 
DRE #00541631 
Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides 
by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. Lic. #01991628. All material present 
ed herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from 
sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in pricecondition, sale or withdrawamay be made without notice. No statement is madeas to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are 
approximate. If your property is currently listed for sale this is not a solicitation. 
Whether you’re buying, selling, or just exploring your options, I’m here to 
help. Give me a call, and let’s get you ahead of the spring market. 
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