SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2013

Inside this week: 

VOLUME 7 NO. 37

LET US NEVER FORGET - 9/11/2001

Sierra Madre First Responders Honor The Nation’s Heroes

ARCADIA, 
MONROVIA 
AND DUARTE 
SCHOOLS ALL 
FORCED TO 
LOCK DOWN 
THIS WEEK

FBI and Local Authorities 
Looking For Anonymous 
Caller Who Claimed 
To Have A Gun In Each 
Instance 


In four separate incidents this week, 
a male caller contacted Monrovia, 
Duarte and Arcadia schools 
respectively, claiming to be on 
campus with a gun and threatening 
to start shooting. The campuses were 
immediately locked down and the 
schools searched. In each instance, 
no person or weapon was found 
and the students and faculties were 
allowed to leave.

 The first call was on Monday to Sante 
Fe Middle School. The second call was 
on Tuesday to two Duarte schools, 
Duarte High School and Northview 
Intermediate School. On Thursday, 
the caller contacted the Arcadia 
Police Department reporting ‘he was 
at Arcadia High School and that he 
was going to start shooting students 
with an assault rifle’. In the Arcadia 
incident, a second call was received 
during the search. According to the 
APD, “The caller told the officers to 
back off or they would get shot. The 
search continued and no suspects or 
weapons were found.” 

The Value of a Text

 Students in each incident were 
not allowed to use their telephones 
for calls but were able to ‘text’ their 
parents and let them know what was 
going on. Said one parent after the 
Arcadia incident, “I’ve really learned 
to appreciate the value of a text.”

 The FBI and local police departments 
are continuing their investigation 
into these events. Anyone who has 
any information should contact their 
local police department immediately.

S. Henderson/MVNews

SIERRA MADRE

Calendar Page A2

Sierra Madre News Page A3


PASADENA/ALTADENA

Pg. A4

Boarding House 

Operators Charged

AROUND SGV Pg. A5

Assemblyman Gets To Sacramento 
and goes to WORK!

ARCADIA NEWS Pg. A 6 

TASTE OF ARCADIA

MONROVIA/DUARTE 

 Pg. A7

Bouquet of 
Remembrance

EDUCATION & YOUTH

 Pg. A8

SM Middle School 
Breaks Ground

FOOD & DRINK

 Pg. A9

THE GOOD LIFE Pg. A10

Savvy Senior

Senior Happenings

This and That


HEALTHY LIVING 

Pg. A11

SECTION B

SIERRA MADRE 
HONORS Page B1

On Wednesday, September 11, 2013, members of the Sierra Madre 
Police and Fire Departments along with members of the Community 
Emergency Response Team (CERT), Councilmember Chris Koerber, 
other city officials and residents, began the day at 6:45 am with 
a Memorial Service honoring the first responders to the 9/11 tragedy 
that occurred in 2001. At exactly 7:04am, at the sound of the alarm 
from the Verdugo Hills command center, a moment of silence was 
observed. Flags were raised half mast and remained in that position 
for the rest of the day. 

 There is a placque in front of the SM Fire Station (right) which should 
remind us of the extraordinary commitment of our own first responders. 
Called “The Fireman’s Prayer”, it is indicative of both police and 
fire fighters, paramedics and all emergency personnel. It reads, 
“When I am called to duty God whereever flames will rage, help me 
embrace a little child before it’s too late or save an older person from the 
horror of that fate. Enable me to be alert and hear the weakest shout and quickly and effectively put the fire out. I want to fill 
my calling and give the best in me, to guard my every neighbor and protect his property.....And if according to your will I have 
to lose my life, please bless me with your protecting hand my children and my wife. Amen” 

 Let us honor our brave men and women always, who are willing to put their lives at risk to save another.

S. Henderson/MVNews

BEST FRIENDS Pg.B2

THE WORLD AROUND US 

 Pg. B3

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

 Pg. B4

BUSINESS Pg. B5

LEFT TURN/

RIGHT TURN 

 Pg. B6

The following is information from the 
meeting on Tuesday, September 10, 
2013.

Mayor Nancy Walsh, Council Members 
John Copoccia, Chris Koerber, and 
Josh Moran were present at this week’s 
meeting, with Mayor Pro Tem John 
Harabedian on teleconference from 
Hawaii. In their opening comments, 
Council Members Moran and Koerber 
invited the audience to come out to the 
unveiling of the storyboards on Sierra 
Madre history to take place Saturday, 
September 26 at the Sierra Madre 
Library and the Richardson House, and 
the groundbreaking of Sierra Madre 
Middle School on Thursday, September 
14. They also noted that the Senior 
Community Commission will be 
hosting a Wellness In The Park event 
on Saturday, September 21 at Memorial 
Park.

Water Issues:

On a topic of great interest to all 
Sierra Madre residents, Public Works 
Director Bruce Inman followed the 
public comment with a presentation 
on the water conservation update. 
Inman began stating, “I am pleased to 
note that based on our well production 
for the month of August, our water 
consumption was down 26.6% over 
last August.” Conservation attempts are 
noticed and appreciated. Mayor Walsh 
thanked the residents individually. 
However, many voiced fear of the recent 
letter sent out to residents, which spoke 
of chloramines in the drinking water 
we are now purchasing from outside 
sources. 

Planning Commission Appointments

The council appoint Gina Frierman-
Hunt to another term and Matthew 
Buckles to a new term. 

Ontaria Airport Independence

The council passed a resolution in favor 
of the Ontario Airport returning to 
local control instead of being part of 
Los Angeles. 

SMPD Gets $100,000 Grant

SMPD received a Citizens Option For 
Public Safety (COPS) a grant for the 
next fiscal year. With the $100, 000 the 
grant provides, a portion will be used to 
pay for a new program. This program 
will be called Citizens On Patrol and 
will be composed of volunteers trying 
to keep the community safe. Another 
portion will be used for helicopter 
services so Sierra Madre can be 
independent from others in times of 
crisis. The largest portion of the money 
will go to create three new part time 
positions called Community Service 
Officers (CSO), who will handle writing 
and investigating crime reports when 
no suspect is present. City Manager 
Elaine Aguilar says the best benefit is, 
“There will be another pair of eyes and 
ears driving around the community to 
report on suspicious activity 

Public Hearing - Low Impact 
Development Plan

Council members spoke on behalf of 
an ordinance discussing low impact 
development plan and the update to 
green streets policy. The ultimate goal is 
to find ways to keep water on property 
rather than being flushed down the 
storm drain carrying debris with it and 
contaminating the ocean water. Soon 
many new businesses, parking lots, and 
homes will be implementing different 
techniques, such as pavers and grass, 
to ensure water goes down into the 
ground rather than the storm drains. 
The council has delayed the second 
reading in order to get input for the 500 
sq/ft threshold. 

New Police Car

The council discussed the purchase 
of a new patrol car. Public sentiment 
appeared to be in favor of this decision 
and the council voted in favor as well.

Marketing Sierra Madre

The council also discussed marketing 
techniques to drive more attention to 
Sierra Madre’s local businesses. The 
council agreed to market the city as a 
“day trip destination”. A logo, website, 
and possible apps are all being discussed 
and soon will be implemented. With 
Sierra Madre being such a diverse 
village the city’s theme has been under 
much debate. 

Public Hearing - Art In Public Places

The last item on the agenda was the 
first reading of an ordinance revising 
the municipal code regarding art in 
public places program. Since 2006, 
when building a certain size project 
either a piece of artwork needed to be 
put on the project or a lieu fee needed 
to be paid. What this will do is modify 
the code to allow money collected to 
be used not only to purchase art, but 
to implement more art programs in the 
city. Second reading will take place at 
the next meeting. 

The next meeting will be held Tuesday, 
September 24, 2013 at the Sierra Madre 
City Hall. The upcoming agenda and 
supporting documents and information 
for the items listed above can be found 
at cityofsierramadre.com.

SIERRA MADRE CITY COUNCIL MEETING WRAP-UP By Marina Coco La Salle

OPINION Pg. B7

LEGAL NOTICES Pg. B8

FYI Pg. B12


KEEPING IT COOL, TOO.....Photo by Robert Gjerde


www.facebook.com/
mountainviewsnews 


Guess these two just found it too hot in the mountains and knew that 
this canyon residence had a nice ‘cooling center’.


Read The Paper Online At: www.mtnviewsnews.com