Congratulations Triple Crown Jockey Victor Espinoza of Sierra Madre! 



SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2015 VOLUME 9 NO. 24

SIERRA MADRE POLICE 
APPREHEND WANTED SEXUAL 

THE TOWN COMES OUT TO BALANCE THE BUDGET 
PREDATOR 

Sierra Madre police 
arrested a man 
Wednesday morning 
wanted in Pasadena 
for sexual battery after 
a number of residents 
recognized his picture 
from news reports that 
day. 


Emilio Buch, a known 
homeless man, was 
walking down Sierra 
Madre Boulevard 
around 8:20 a.m. 
when Police Sergeant 
Kenneth Berry said 
he was flagged down by a resident who saw Buch near Baldwin 
Avenue. 



According to reports, Berry also said he had gotten a call from 
another resident who saw a man matching Buch’s description.
Buch was arrested, sitting on a bench, without incident. 


Pasadena Police say Buch was wanted in connection with an 
alleged sexual battery on June 6. Police said a homeless woman 
woke up partially unclothed around 2:50 a.m. She was startled 
to find Buch asleep behind her with his hand on her inner thigh. 


Buch fled and was chased by the woman’s boyfriend although he 

Councilwoman Denise Delmar explains the components of the General Fund to one group at the Town Hall meeting. Photo by S. Henderson 

got away. He is being held in Pasadena jail on $100,000 bail. 

“Preserve the past; Inform the Present; able to carefully review every aspect of 3. Individual assessments. This 
Inspire Our Future”. Those words were the City’s operations and question the idea would impose an assessment on each 
directed to the Sierra Madre City Council validity of the information provided. household of somewhere between $25 
on Tuesday evening by longtime resident Each person proceeded at their own -$30 per month.
and Library Trustee Chair Barry Ziff pace and the council and city staff were 
after a passionate appeal to the council available to make presentations and/or The overwhelming majority of residents, 
not to institute additional cuts to city answer questions. both at the Town Hall and at the Council 
services. Ziff was one of many speakers meeting did not want services cut, 
who confirmed what the majority of the “We don’t have an expenses problem, we especially Police, Fire and the Library.
250 attendees of last Saturday’s Town Hall have a revenue problem”, was a comment 
Budget meeting said. The messages were repeated at both the Town Hall and This latest round of budget discussion 
clear. “We don’t want anymore cuts”, Council meetings. Three proposals to appears to have reached a number of 
“Put the UUT back on the ballot”, “Don’t increase revenue were introduced by residents who were previously opposed 
contract out our services”, “Increase residents. In the order of their popularity to the UUT in prior years. You can 
Revenue” and more. One thing that was (number of suggestions), they were:view the Town Hall meeting video at 
crystal clear, the majority of those in 1. Put the Utility User’s Tax back www.villagevine.org. You can also see 
attendance at the Council meeting and on the ballot. Most people said a new tax the entire presentation and read the 
those at the Town Hall meeting are ready should not sunset. Of those who wanted comments by going to the city’s website 
to buckle up and pay whatever is necessray a new UUT, they were divided as whether at www.cityofsierramadre.com. Click on 
in order to preserve Sierra Madre. or not to cap it at 10 or 12%.Town Hall Meeting Documents. There 

2, The second most popular you will also be able to read the comments 
At the Budget Town Hall, which was the revenue generating idea from the and emails of residents.
most well attended public information community was to implement a Parcel The council will vote on the budget at 
meeting in recent history, residents were Tax for the Library. the next meeting, June 23, 2015. 


Inside this week:

CALENDAR Pg. 2 

SIERRA MADRE NEWS 
Pg. 3 

PASADENA/ALTADENA 
Pg. 4 
ARCADIA NEWS 
Pg. 6 
MONROVIA/DUARTE 
Pg. 7 

SAN GABRIEL VALLEY 
Pg. 8 

BEST FRIENDS 
Pg. 9 


EDUCATION & YOUTH 
Pg. 10 

FOOD & DRINK 
ARTS Pg. 11 

HEALTHY LIVING

 Pg. 12 

GOOD LIFE 
Pg. 13 

THE WORLD AROUND 
US Pg. 14 
OPINION Pg. 15 

LEGAL NOTICES 
Pg. 16 

AND THE HORN WILL BLOW ON! 


It’s more than a bit of nostalgia from days gone 
by. It’s so much more than a cherished relic. 
It is very much a part of the fabric that makes 
Sierra Madre special. It is indicative of how 
this city operates, often to the sound of its own 
drum, or in this case horn. 

On Tuesday, the city council agreed that the 
“Horn” (center) should continue to be utilitzed 
as an emergency notification tool for Sierra 
Madre. However, the number 

one per week, giving some relief to its closest 
neighbors. 

When residents hear the 3 blasts of the horn, it 
is a warning of an emergency. That emergency 
could be a fire, mudslide, windstorm, who 
knows, even a tornado. Whatever the 
emergency, residents should immediately go to 
the city’s emergency radio station 1630 AM for 
further instructions. 

of times it is tested per week will 


The station will give 
be reduced to 1, providing that 

updates on what the 
minimal testing will not impair 

emergency is and if there 
its functionality. 

are special instructions 

that need to be followed 
There has been much chatter 

such as evacuations, street 
and little understanding of the 

avoidance, downed power 
function of the bell. It has always 

lines, where to seek shelter, 
been an emergency warning 

where to find power, etc. 
device. In the 1940’s, according 
to SMFD Chief Steve Heydorff, 

Many resident’s either no 
it was housed in the old city hall 

longer have traditional land 
and used to notify volunteer 

lines, or in the event cell 
firefighters to come to the 

and telephone towers and 
firestation. And, according to the 

internet services are down 
ultimate authority on the Horn,

(as they were in the 2011 
92 year old Former Mayor George 

Windstorm), the reverse 
Maurer and former member of 

911 calls may not reach 

the SMVFD, even in the days of 
pagers, the Fire Department relied on those 3 
short blasts to notify them of emergencies. 

As reported earlier this month, however, a 
sincere, but ill fated effort to eliminate the horn 
was attempted. The horn was tested daily at 
5 pm in downtown Sierra Madre and always 
startled whomever was in direct earshot of 
the device. This caused some members of the 
community to seek to silence the horn. 

The controversy was handled by residents and 
the council without the signature hostility 
that so often accompanies Sierra Madre 
controversy. The compromise was that the 
bell would reduce the number of days tested to 

households. Access to 
information on the Emergency Radio station 
can even be obtained over your car radio. The 
sound of the horn will let you know to tune in 
for further instructions. 

The major TV and Radio stations often do not 
carry up to date information on the conditions 
in Sierra Madre which demonstrates another 
need for the horn. 

Mayor Capoccia has committed to review 
the status of the horn in a year, however, 
Councilwoman Arizmendi requested that city 
staff comeback to the council immediately if 
the reduced testing has an adverse impact on 
the horn’s readiness. S. Henderson/MVNews 

VICTOR ESPINOZA DONATES HIS 
WINNINGS TO CITY OF HOPE TO 
FIGHT CHILDHOOD CANCER 

Victor Espinoza 

made history last 

week. He was 

the jockey for 

American Pharoah 

and the duo won 

the first Triple 

Crown since 1978. 

It couldn’t have 

happened to a nicer 

guy. Seriously, 

On and off the 

track Espinoza is a 

really nice guy and 

he shows it in his 

every day life.

 A relatively recent

Sierra Madre 

resident, meaning 

he has live in town 

less than 30 years, 

if you see him, 

he always greets 

everyone with a 

smile. He likes 

smiles, especially 

those that he puts 

on the faces of 

children he visits who are fighting childhood cancer. He likes doing 

what he can so much that he donated all of his earnings from the 

Belmont Stakes to the City of Hope to help with the battle against 

childhood cancer.

 “At the wire I was like, ‘I cannot believe I did it,’ ” Espinoza told the 

Louisville Courier-Journal. “I (won) the Triple Crown race now, but 

I didn’t make any money, because I donated my money to the City of 

Hope.”

 He has been donating 10% of his earnings for years to City of 

Hope, but this big win inspired him to donate all of his earnings after 

expenses.

 “I just saw one kid with that disease and that’s how I changed my 

life. I changed the way I think. Pretty much I changed everything,” 

Espinoza told Newsday. “For me, health is No. 1.” 

 Yes, Victor Espinoza is a nig winner, in more ways than one. 

 S. Henderson/MVNews 
Victor shares his 2014 victory with the children 
at the City of Hope. MVNews/July, 2014 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com