Sierra Madre | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, April 8, 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||
3 Mountain View News Saturday, April 8, 2017 EDITORIAL - SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT H. SUSAN HENDERSON IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE Relax, this is not about Washington, Sacramento or even LA County. This is about change right here in Sierra Madre. Change at home. No one who has a clue would say that things are perfect in our pristine Village, but it is far removed from some of the major problems that plague other cities. As of this writing, we don’t have a ‘gang’ problem, we don’t have a ‘homeless’ population to help, we don’t have issues of political corruption that we know of. For the most part, Sierra Madre is the poster child of what small town, idyllic America is all about. The issues that we find most disturbing are mostly inflicted upon us by outside forces, for instance, the increase in burglaries. But even with that we have our own very competent Police Department to deal with that. No, those aren’t the things we need to change. We have the whole ‘small town ambiance’ thing down pat. At least for now. What needs to change is our lack of attention to preserving Sierra Madre as it is. For as long as I can remember, we have been reactive rather than proactive as far as maintaining our small town. We don’t think about anything until there is a problem. For instance, the Henry A. Darling House situation. A few years ago the property was purchased and the new owners attempted to remodel as they felt was their right to do. Bam! They ran into a brick wall when they found out that the property really had historical value to the city and the general population had no desire to see the property altered. So, they sold the property and moved their family far away. The next buyer, who we presume was aware of the previous owner’s dilemma, attempted to work with the city to correct the structural flaws and yet retain the property’s historical value. Bam! Another brick wall. Loose ends that had never been tied up have created, in this author’s opinion, a situation that upon resolution will probably satisfy the city and the owners, but will not address the larger, more permanent problem. And that Is what needs to change. The preservation of Sierra Madre as a safe, family friendly, environmentally friendly, wildlife friendly, community that values its history, has got to become top priority to every resident, every employee, every elected official in this town. It’s not enough to move to town and embrace all the good Sierra Madre has to offer without becoming involved in the activities and things that make it that way. It’s not enough to sit back and complain about what is going wrong without doing something to make it right. And, most importantly, it is not enough to keep putting band aids on problems every time a hemorrhage starts to emerge. In order to preserve Sierra Madre, we have to be PROACTIVE! And that starts with our leadership. Don’t get me wrong, our current Mayor and Council have been the most productive and civil groups in the last 15 years. The fires that have been before them, like the Utility Users Tax, were handled professionally and kept the town from coming apart at the seams. But…..We have to do more. For example, earlier in this article, I mentioned the dilemma of the Darling house as a historical property in Sierra Madre. I believe that whatever can be done to appease both parties will be done, but we must put into place the necessary codes and ordinances to prevent a recurrence. Why not commission a professional survey of all the historical and potentially historic homes in Sierra Madre so that as the ownership changes, the new buyers are aware of what they have purchased? In addition, why not include in the city’s Municipal Code a requirement that realtors disclose to buyers that the home is on the City’s Historical (or potentially historical*) Homes list? By so doing, Sierra Madre would save thousands in staff time and legal fees. Both the SM Historical Preservation Society (www.smhps.org/) and Preserve Sierra Madre (www.preservesierramadre.com/) would no doubt embrace those efforts as they continue their activities. And wait, there is more. This one has been a pet peeve of mine since I attended the city council reorganization in 2004. WHY DON’T WE INCLUDE A PLEDGE TO THE CITY OF SIERRA MADRE IN THE OATH OF OFFICE FOR ALL CITY OFFICIALS? Our city leaders take an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution and the State of California Constitution but there is nothing in the oath that binds them to upholding the Charter of the City of Sierra Madre or its Municipal Code and related laws. Can we add such language to the Oath so that our leaders are reminded of their public pledge that in their every action, Sierra Madre and its preservation is their No. 1 priority? Perhaps that would inspire current and future leaders to remember what their real job is….to Protect and Preserve the City and Residents of Sierra Madre. That may appear to be a seemingly small gesture, but it is the kind of lasting change that we need! *potentially historic: This phrase is used to include those homes that were previously designated as Historical landmarks and could in fact become landmarks again, and those homes that were never on any registry but are identified as historical structures. SIERRA MADRE POLICE BLOTTER During this time period, the Sierra Madre Police Department responded to approximately 2 94 day and night time calls for service. Tuesday, March 28 A residential burglary occurred between March 15, 2017, 1900 hours and March 28, 2017, 1200 hours. The unknown suspect(s) forcefully entered the residence by shattering a glass window located in the southeast corner of the residence that leads into the kitchen. The home in the 600 block of Camillo St., was ransacked and a number of personal items, and an unknown amount of loose change were confirmed to have been taken. Unknown at this time what additional property was taken. Case referred to Detectives Thursday, March 30 An auto burglary occurred in the 400 block of Santa Anita Court. The suspect(s) smashed the left rear window of the vehicle camper shell to gain entry. The total loss value was $4150.00. This case referred to Detectives. NOTE: Several citations were issued within this time period for unlicensed drivers and/or driving without a license, a few resulting in impounding of the driver’s vehicle. A reminder to be aware of the expiration date of your California driver’s license and vehicle registration tags. IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING 300 W. Sierra Madre Blvd www.skinrituals.com 626.441.7900 Complimentary Mint Hand Scrub with every facial! add Paraffin Hand Dip for $10(Valued at $15) Specializing in: oCelebrity FacialsoAnti-AgingoTeen FacialsoWaxingoMassage We’d like to hear from you! What’s on YOUR Mind? Contact us at: editor@mtnviewsnews.com or www.facebook.com/ mountainviewsnews AND Twitter: @mtnviewsnews www.mountainviewsnews.com 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||