LA COUNTY RED FLAG ALERT THROUGH SUNDAY - See Below


SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2013

VOLUME 7 NO. 40

 The National Weather Service has issued 
a RED FLAG WARNING for Los 
Angeles County which will remain 
in effect through Sunday evening. 
Strong, gusty Santa Ana winds and 
very low humidity have created critical 
fire weathr conditions in most of the 
county. According to the NWS, “Critical 
fire weather conditions are expected 
through Sunday evening. A strong 
Santa Ana wind event will develop of 
the area through Saturday afternoon 
before weakening Saturday night and 
Sunday.”

This has been deemed the most significant 
fire threat in the past five years. 

However, according to Sierra Madre 
FIre Captain Rich Snyder, as of late 
Friday evening, Sierra Madre has not 
been subject to the specific conditions 
that warrant an alert. According to 
Captain Snyder, there are specific conditions 
that must be met before a Red 
Flag Alert is called for this area.

“So far, the specific conditions of high 
wind and low humidity did not strike 
Sierra Madre on Friday.” The SMFD 
will continue to monitor the situation 
and if conditions reach that critial level, 
residents will be notified.

In a notice sent from SM Fire Chief 
Steve Heydorff to city department 
heads and officials, the city will use the 
established criteria which consists of:

“For Southern California from mountains 
westward - Either Relative Humidity 
=15%, with sustained winds = 
25 mph and/or frequent gusts = 35 mph 
(duration of 6 hours or more) Or 

Relative Humidity = 10% (duration of 
10 hours or more) regardless of wind, 
before issuing an alert.”

Local recreation areas such as Bailey 
Canyon and the Mt. Wilson Trail may 
be closed if conditions rise to the level 
of a Red Flag Alert. Unfortunately, the 
Chantry Flat Area is closed due to the 
government shut down. (See related 
story below).

Residents should monitor information 
on the weather status via the city’s 
website, www.cityofsierramadre.com; 
On SMTV 3 television (Time Warner 
Cable Subscribers Only); on the Sierra 
Madre Emergency Radio Station - 
1630 AM. Emergency information on 
the city’s social media sites, Facebook 
and Twitter. 

You can also find any alerts issued by 
the city on the Mountain Views News 
Website, www.mtnviewsnews.com or 
by following us on Facebook www.
facebook.com/mountainviewsnews or 
Twitter, @mtnviewsnews

S. Henderson/MVNews

COUNTY WIDE RED FLAG ALERT ISSUED

Sierra Madre Fire Officials Monitoring Situation Carefully

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CLOSES 
ADAM’S PACK STATION 

 Earlier this week, the city of Sierra Madre was notified that the Chantry Flat 
Recreation area in Angeles National Forest, would be closed as a result of the 
federal government shut down. Sierra Madre Police Chief Larry Giannone confirmed 
that the city was asked by the Forest Service to close the gate entrance on 
Santa Anita Avenue. This closure will remain in effect until elected officials in 
Washington allow the government to get back to work.

 The shut down has had an immediate negative impact on small business owners 
Deb and Sue Burgess, and their employees. The ladies have been owners of 
the Adam’s Pack Station since 2006. The Pack Station. which has been serving 
that community since the 1800’s, provides services to the 80 cabins in the area 
plus the 40 cabins in Sturtevant Camp in Big Santa Anita Canyon. All are only 
accessible by foot. They also operate the general store which hikers in the area 
depend on. On the Pack Station’s website Deb writes. 

“ [It] has resulted in shutting down any developed areas of the Angeles National 
Forest which includes Chantry Flat and Mt. Wilson. Any area or facility that is 
developed and requires any level of maintenance (whether actually done or not) 
has been closed. The hiking trails are open but you have to walk to get to them. 

 As a small business that employs staff that live off the meager wages they earn 
from us, this is devastating. It could go on for weeks.”

 She noted that the hiking trails are open (unless closed for dangerous weater 
conditions, and that “Permittees (cabin owners) are allowed to enter through 
the Chantry Gate as they do not require maintenance of facilities.” 


Deb Burgess and ‘Fred’ courtesy Adam’s Pack Station website, www.
adamspackstation.com

SIERRA MADRE BOULEVARD STREET 
PROJECT UPDATE From the City of Sierra Madre


Learn What You Can Do To 
Help On Page 14

The Sierra Madre Public Works 
Department is continuing with 
the street project of 2013. The first 
phase of rebuilding the intersections 
in the downtown has been 
completed and now we will continue 
with the second phase of slurry 
sealing the rest of the roadway. The 
final process will be re-striping the 
parking stalls and crosswalks.

 

We have determined the least 
disruptive way to complete this 
process is to perform this work 
throughout the night hours. 

There will be No Parking or driving 
on West Sierra Madre Boulevard 
Friday October 4, 2013 from 9:00 
PM until 11:00 AM the following 
Saturday, October 5, 2013. (This 
will affect the downtown only, 
Baldwin to Lima). The project will 
be monitored by the City’s inspectors 
and a staff member of the construction 
crew will open the road 
as soon as the new surface is ready 
to be driven on. The following 
Sunday night October 6, 2013 the 
streets will be striped. For up to 3 
hours there will also be NO Parking 
during the striping process, as 
soon as the paint dries the parking 
stalls will be opened for parking. 

 Your cooperation during the time 
this necessary work is being performed 
will be appreciated. Your 
patience will be rewarded by a 
new surface coating on our street, 
which will last many years.

 

REMEMBER: NO PARKING 
TOW AWAY signs with the exact 
dates of work on the street and 
hours of restricted parking will be 
posted at least 48 hours in advance 
of the crews starting work on the 
street. Vehicles not removed from 
the street before work begins will 
be towed at the owner’s expense.

 

Barricades will be provided from 
10:00 PM to 10:00 AM during one 
day within that period to eliminate 
unnecessary traffic. The street will 
be accessible to emergency vehicles 
at all times. Do not hesitate to call 
911 should you require emergency 
assistance. There will be no change 
to the trash collection day.

 

THE STREET WILL BE 
CLOSED TO ALL TRAFFIC 
FOR A SHORT PERIOD, 
AND NO PARKING SIGNS 
WILL REMAIN UNTIL THE 
PROJECT IS COMPLETED.

 

CHANNEL 98

PROGRAMMING

Had the best time ever last Friday 
night! Sierra Madre’s very own 
athletic star, Sharon Pevsner, who has 
won the Mt. Wilson Trail Race more 
times than we can count, and who we 
see running through town at the speed 
of light, pausing just long enough to 
wave and say hi, invited us to Music In 
The Garden, featuring chamber music 
by the Pasadena Symphony and POPS, 
in the Gooden School garden. 

“We have seen the power of music 
throughout history, including Albert 
Einstein who used his violin to 
work on challenging formulas. We 
believe wholeheartedly that music 
nourishes the mind, body and spirit 
of an individual and enriches the 
community, so we are extremely 
pleased to be partnering with The 
Gooden School who believes in 
the same power of the arts.” Says 
Paul Jan Zdunek, Chief Executive 
Officer of the Pasadena Symphony 
and POPS. Hopefully, this will bring 
more wonderful events featuring the 
Symphony to the Gooden School and 
Sierra Madre.

One of the nicest places in town to 
walk around or by is the Gooden 
School on North Baldwin. After a 
fabulous lot of landscaping a few 
years ago their property is a garden 
showplace. We admire their camellias 
in camellia season, their wisteria in 
wisteria season and love to see the 
children coming and going with Jose 
shepherding them across the street.

My husband, the patient and adorable 
John, and I arrived 5:30ish last Friday 
night and encountered the first treat 
of the evening, a lovely young harpist 
stroking her strings just inside the 
Laurel Avenue entrance. Soothingly 
beautiful. Don’t you love harp 
music! We paused a moment, then 
continued into the garden where a 
long table featuring wine caught our 
eye. Sharon greeted us and we had a 
moment to share that our youngest 
daughter, Crissy, who is now a married 
40-something resident of Texas, had 
attended Kindergarten at Ascension 
School, now Gooden School.

Filling plates with cheese, grapes and 
mixed nuts (the good kind with lots 
of cashews, pecans and brazil nuts), 
we wandered down to the lower 
level where the Pasadena Symphony 
Chamber quartet was playing. Could 
there be anything pleasanter than 
sitting outside on a perfect Fall 
evening, listening to classical music, 
splendidly played, while enjoying 
wine, cheese and, yes, mixed nuts, 
in the company of delightful people 
laughing and chatting? No!

 (continued on page 5)

WALKING SIERRA MADRE……THE SOCIAL SIDE

THE GOODEN SCHOOL GARDEN by Deanne Davis

Also Inside this week: 

SIERRA MADRE

Calendar Page 2

Sierra Madre News Page 3

PASADENA/ALTADENA

Pg. 4

Police Seek Assault 
Suspect

AROUND SGV Pg. 5

Grand Birthday In Duarte

“PASABLANCA”

ARCADIA NEWS Pg. 6 

Missing Adult

Former Officer Charged

MONROVIA/DUARTE 

 Pg. 7

Monrovia Wins Putnam 
Award


EDUCATION & YOUTH

 Pg. 8

FOOD & DRINK

ARTS & MORE

 Pg. 9

BEST FRIENDS Pg. 10

SMTV 98 Pg. 11-12

HEALTHY LIVING 

 Pg. 13


THE GOOD LIFE Pg. 14

Savvy Senior

Senior Happenings

This and That

THE WORLD AROUND US 

 Pg. 15

BUSINESS Pg. 15

SPORTS Pg. 16

LEFT TURN/RIGHT 
TURN/OPINION 

 Pg. 17

LEGAL NOTICES Pg. 18

Gooden Girls -Natalie, Riley, Emma and Kylie from left to right

Photo by Deanne Davis

FYI Pg. 24


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