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WHETHER 1 MONTH OR 101 YEARS OLD.....KEEP HYDRATED! EXTREME HEAT CONTINUES. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2013 VOLUME 7 NO. 36 FINALLY.....VIN SCULLY - ROSE PARADE GRAND MARSHAL! IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY...... The Tournament of Roses announced on Thursday that Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully, an icon in American sports history and “the voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers” for 64 years, has been chosen as the Grand Marshal for the 2014 Tournament of Roses, themed “Dreams Come True.” Scully will ride in the 125th Rose Parade ® presented by Honda and toss the coin at the start of the 100th Rose Bowl Game® presented by VIZIO on January 1, 2014, as well as participate in a number of Tournament-related events throughout the month of December 2013. Tournament of Roses President R. Scott Jenkins (pictured on the right with Scully), made the announcement at a press conference and public event at Tournament House in Pasadena. In his remarks, Jenkins referred to Scully as being in a league of his own and literally the best in his field. “Vin Scully is incredibly accomplished and yet still so down to earth,” said Jenkins. “His own life is one in which many dreams have come true and even more importantly, he has been at the microphone describing for listeners everywhere the dreams of others coming true. I couldn’t be happier that he accepted my invitation to be the Grand Marshal. I know his fans everywhere are cheering right now.” “I am deeply humbled and greatly honored to be the Grand Marshal of the 125th Rose Parade,” said Scully. “I look forward to sharing this wonderful moment with my wife, Sandi, and the millions who will be watching.” Scully recently announced that he will return to the Dodger broadcast booth for an unprecedented 65th season in 2014. He began his professional baseball broadcasting career in 1950, with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. During his unmatched career, he has called three perfect games, 25 no-hitters, 25 World Series and 12 All-Star Games. Above, city workers and contractors endure temperatures in excess of 100 degrees on Friday as they work on a number of public works street and infrastructure projects. The stifling heat and humidity is a reminder to all residents to stay hydrated. Inside this week: SIERRA MADRE Calendar Page 2 Sierra Madre News Page 3 SM Police Blotter Page 4 PASADENA/ALTADENA Pg. 5 SIERRA MADRE’S AMERICAN RED CROSS CITY BLOOD CHALLENGE For about 25 fearless Sierra Madre locals, even 98-degree heat couldn’t squelch their giving hearts. The Red Cross hosted a blood drive on Wednesday, August 28th, at the Sierra Madre Congregational Church. The event was part of the Red Cross City Blood Challenge, a competition among cities within the Los Angeles County to produce the highest percentage of blood donations for the month of August. To help inspire Sierra Madrians to give, Red Cross Ambassador Anna-Marie Norris worked with local businesses to extend special offers and discounts to every donor. Those who gave were treated to a gift envelope that was filled with offerings from Lucky Baldwin’s Delirium, GEM Plumbing, The Shabby Dog, Mother Moo Creamery, Yogurt & More, Savor the Flavor, James Mitchell Tile and the Vibrant Living Wellness Center (opening soon), and much more. The American Red Cross has recently received one of the highest US charity ratings in 2013 with a proven track record of donating 91 cents of every dollar received. This is just the beginning of creating a stronger Red Cross community in Sierra Madre. Bruce Murray Dies ARCADIA NEWS Pg. 6 MONROVIA/DUARTE Pg. 7 EDUCATION & YOUTH Pg. 8 FOOD & DRINK Pg.9 BEST FRIENDS Pg.10 HEALTHY LIVING NEW! Dr. Tina Paul Pg. 11 THE GOOD LIFE Pg. 12 Savvy Senior Senior Happenings Katy Tse - This and That NOT-SO-RECENT CRIME SHAKES THE COMMUNITY By Marina Coco La Salle ANTONOVICH CALLS FOR OPTIONS TO INCREASE TIME SERVED BY SERIOUS AND VIOLENT OFFENDERS IN COUNTY JAILS LOS ANGELES COUNTY – A motion by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich requests that the Sheriff prepare a report with options to ensure that serious and violent offenders in county jails serve their full sentences. The request follows a report issued by Vanir Construction Management on August 26. “Inmates with very serious and violent charges including child molestation, rape, negligent discharge of a firearm, kidnapping, mayhem, child abuse and aggravated assault, are only serving 40% of their sentences,” said Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. “This is an injustice to victims of crime and compromises public safety for all residents.” The report with options is due on September 12 for consideration by the Board on September 17. ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Pg. 13 Helicopters encircling the town, local police officers armed with machine guns, and K-9s prepared to pounce at any moment are just a few unsettling sights the residents of Sierra Madre were greeted with this August. The recent string of armed burglaries in this historically safe community has left people in fear. Watch Commander, Lieutenant Michael Kirkpatrick, encourages residents to, “Get to know your neighbor, be aware of your surroundings, and if you ever see anybody suspicious or somebody you don’t recognize, or you see suspicious behavior be sure to give the police a call and we will be there right away to determine the situation.” Although this recent crime spree feels new to the community, in actuality the crime rate has increased significantly since 2011. According to the Sierra Madre Police Department Annual Crime Report for 2011, the total number of local crimes increased by 231 since 2010. This increase was also experienced by multiple neighboring cities, starting around the same time. There are numerous theories as to the reasons behind the sudden rise in crime, but many believe it is due to California’s answer to a federal mandate, endorsed by the U.S. Supreme Court in May of 2011. This federal mandate (also known as AB 109) required that California reduce the number of prison inmates by 33,000 citing that the over population has led to cruel and unusual punishment, which in turn violates the Eighth Amendment. In order to comply, California allowed its felons whose most recent offenses were non-violent, non-serious, and non-sexual to become apart of their new Public Safety Realignment Program. In short, the responsibility of these “non, non, nons” was transferred to the counties from the state, leaving county jails over populated and ultimately city streets flooded with early release inmates, who committed the crimes there in the first place. The counties’ only solution to this sudden inmate release has been to provide these new members of society with post-release community supervision through probation. 11,136 “non, non, nons” have been released in Los Angeles in the past year. Understanding that these inmates have many problems, community supervision efforts have attempted to create a place where these people can seek help for their various needs. Unfortunately, the Probation Department explains that 59% of these released inmates are at high risk. A large number of warrants have been issued for those that have fled their probation. Many end up returning to jail and back in the hands of the county for new violations often mirroring their past offenses. Information attained from the City Council meeting last Friday revealed that there have been a total of 34 burglaries in Sierra Madre from January 1 to the present. Out of these 34 burglaries there were only six arrests, five of these six being AB 109 “non non nons”. This realignment has managed to do exactly what it was intended to do. Prisons are now only reserved for the felons who commit the most serious types of crimes, leaving county jails with an influx of inmates. Due to the community supervision required throughout the released inmates probationary period, counties hope to see a positive difference within the community. For now, the not-so-recent crime rate has left many Sierra Madre residents unsettled, but hopeful that this new realignment and supervised probation program will soon make a difference. Sources: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/holly-brown/why-i-moved-to-hawaii_b_3858640.html http://zev.lacounty.gov/news/moving-to-fix-a-broken-ab-109-system http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-prison-release-california-jerry-brown-20130809,0,869875. story BUSINESS Pg. 13 LEFT TURN/ RIGHT TURN Pg. 14 OPINION Pg. 15 LEGAL NOTICES Pg. 16 FYI Pg. 20 www.facebook.com/ mountainviewsnews WATER AND SEWER RATE STUDY COMMUNITY MEETINGS: 3rd Meeting - September 14, 2013 at 9:00am Maintenance Yard, 621 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Read The Paper Online At: www.mtnviewsnews.com | |||||||||||||||||||||
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