Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, February 2, 2019

the core foundation upon which the Riboli family 
has built its legacy. Their wines are not only held 
at the highest regard, but with each sip comes a 
story of perseverance, dedication, and rich history. 
San Antonio Winery is the last remaining winery 
in downtown L.A. – a hidden gem and a historical 
landmark operating in the same community it was 
founded more than 100 years ago by a young hopeful 
Italian immigrant named Santo Cambianica. 

 During the Prohibition era, the L.A. wine 
industry was forever changed when more than 
100 wineries were forced to shut their doors. San 
Antonio Winery, however, stood the test of time 
and flourished as the number one producer of altar 
wines. In 1936 a young Stefano Riboli emigrated to 
the U.S. from northern Italy and began apprenticing 
under his uncle Santo, soon proving himself to be 
invaluable to the winery. Another Italian immigrant 
by the name of Maddalena Satragni caught his eye 
one day while she was out riding a tractor east 
of Los Angeles farming the fields. They married 
shortly after in 1946. When Santo passed, his wish 
of the couple inheriting the winery came true, 
allowing San Antonio Winery to stay within the 
family and grow beyond its roots as L.A.’s original 
urban winery. “In the 1980s, being a winery in Los 
Angeles was not cool,” said Steve Riboli, Anthony’s 
uncle and a third-generation vintner. “But today, we 
talk about the word ‘urban,’ and every millennial 
thinks that’s where it’s at.”

 Four generations later, both Stefano and 
Maddalena, respectively 97 and 95 years old, 
still play a vital role in the winery’s success. They 
continue devoting their time to mentor the younger 
generations of the Riboli family, including their 
three children Santo, Cathy, and Steve, who together 
grew up working in the winery and continue to 
implement the family values and work ethic they 
learned as children, each with daily responsibilities 
in administration, sales and hospitality. “This 
mentality has been the driving force for our fourth 
generation,” said president Santo Riboli. “My son 
and winemaker Anthony Riboli, my niece Lisa 
and my nephews Dante and Chris, are all working 
hard to make sure our vision continues on to future 
generations.”

 Today, the family’s historic L.A. location, Ontario 
(east of Los Angeles), and Paso Robles locations 
continue to attract locals and visitors alike. 

 For more information visit www.riboliwines.
com, and for photo or interview requests, please 
contact Melissa Gonzalo at mgonzalo@riboliwines.
com or call (323) 330-8789.

3


Mountain View News Saturday, February 2, 2019 

WALKING SIERRA MADRE by Deanne Davis

SIERRA MADRE RESIDENTS HONORED 

AT NAMM SHOW


“All day I’ve faced the barren waste
Without the taste of water, cool, water
Old Dan and I with throats burned dry
And souls that cry for water, cool, clear, water.” 

(Bob Nolan & Sons of the Pioneers – 1949)

“Bioswales: Landscape elements designed to 
concentrate or remove debris and pollution out of 
surface runoff water, working to remove pollutants 
through vegetation and the soil. As storm water 
runoff flows through the bioswale, pollutants are 
captured and settled by the leaves and stems of 
plants. Pollutants then enter the soil where they 
decompose or can be broken down by bacteria in 
healthy soil.” Wikipedia

 You guys probably know all about bioswales, but 
until a few days ago, I had never even heard the 
word. Then my friend, Danielle Killian, sent me a 
couple of pictures of our bioswales at work and I was 
enthralled. I first met Danielle when she invited me 
to be part of the Greenbuild 2016 Los Angeles Birds 
and Bees Garden Tour which started downtown 
at the LA Convention Center, progressed to the 
Sierra Madre City Hall then wound up at Descanso 
Gardens. The Authentic Foothill Gardens right 
here at our very own City Hall/Police Department 
facility were created to provide a landscape that 
is lush, leafy and low-water. And they are a huge 
success. 

 The gardens at City Hall have never been more 
beautiful and, now that they’ve had a chance to 
grow, the plants are breathtaking. Isara Ongwiseth, 
the garden’s lead designer is a talented artist who 
has several gardens on tour this spring. Chris 
Cimino, the Public Works Director, who manages 
the garden for the city took this picture during the 
recent very welcome days of rain, which shows our 
rock bioswale full to the brim with rainwater. Just 
a few days later, both bioswales had completely 
drained, allowing that precious rainwater to 
infiltrate the ground and planted spaces. Cool!

 OK, where are the bioswales? If you walk through 
the garden center, just outside City Hall, where that 
delightful sculpture of the little guy with his fishing 
pole stands and look toward the Police Department, 
you’re see a beautiful bridge and a bed of boulders 
several feet deep. All the rainwater which collected 
there, is now part of our water table. There are two 
bioswales there in our gardens, the one of rocks and 
boulders and another deep depression of grasses – 
riparian native plants such as hummingbird sage 
and Carex pansa grass - on the longer side of the 
bridge. While poppies aren’t generally thought of 
as “riparian,” you’ll see them growing between the 
rocks in the rock bioswale. With all the extra water, 
we’ll be watching to see what else pops up in there 
this spring.

 Here’s something else I didn’t know: bioswales 
are not designed to store water long term. Well, of 
course! It sinks right into the ground. Our bioswales 
are complemented by a rain barrel located at the 
side of the police and fire station. Our gardens are 
perfectly designed for our foothill community. 
These lush and leafy gardens give us year round 
beauty and, here’s the best part, save about 75% 
of the water previously used. The plants in our 
Chaparral and Coastal Sage Garden, Fire Garden, 
Wildlife Garden and Shade Garden also mitigate 
fire, retain slopes and feed wildlife, improving our 
adjacent wildspaces and the city itself.

 You know, these plants entice butterflies, birds, 
beneficial insects, hummingbirds and lizards. 
The Edible Garden also includes some nice picnic 
tables where folks can bring their lunch and sit 
for a peaceful hour just looking at the beauty 
surrounding them. 

 Signs in the garden ask, “Is your garden water 
wise?” Also most of the plants are identified. I 
especially liked “Lawn Alternative #2 – Festuca 
rubra,” so you can write down the names of the ones 
you’d like to have in your own water wise garden. 
You can create your very own bioswale, too. Take a 
look at the City Hall gardens and I guarantee you’ll 
be inspired!

 Many thanks to Danielle Killian, James Carlson 
(the city’s management analyst, who also works on 
watershed and water conservation issues throughout 
this region), Chris Cimino and, of course, designer 
Isara Ongwiseth who saw potential for beauty and 
the salvation of our precious rainwater. 

 

 My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis – 
check out Noah & The Unicorns...or maybe The 
Vuillaume Violin

Both available there, along with other goodies!

 Star of Wonder the CD is now on TuneCore! 
Take a look!

 Blog: www.authordeanne.com

 Follow me on Twitter, too! https://twitter.com/@
playwrightdd

By Dean Lee

 Long time Sierra Madre resident Tom Seymour 
and his son and Rich Seymour were honored last 
week at this year’s National Association of Music 
Merchants show for 50 years of being in the 
retail music business. The two own and run the 
legendary Fret House music store in Downtown 
Covina.

 Tom Seymour said 1969, the year he opened, 
was a good year for music, “There was a big 
expansion in the mid to late 60s and there has 
been some retrenchment in the last 10 years.” 

 He said they started the store in 1969 with six 
acoustic guitars, “four of them came from my 
home living room.”

 He said before that he was teaching guitar while 
in college.

 Both Tom and Rich Seymour said about NAMM 
“We are looking for innovations in the lines that 
we carry and new products that are introduced 
and things that are new to the marketplace. 

 They said this year C.F. Martin let them 
choose the wood for their guitars “We went with 
high altitude Swiss spruce top and Guatemalan 
rosewood for sides and back.”

 Tom Seymour also said the new Fender 
American Acoustasonic Series, A hybrid acoustic/
electric guitar was interesting but they are not sure 
yet if they will put them in the store. He said at 
$1,999 they are a bit pricy.

 “Fender is going to have another less expensive 
model of it out later this year, we might wait for 
that,” he said.

 Longtime friends of Tom and Rich, Mica 
Thomas and Ron Wickersham of Alembic 
instruments were also given awards for 50 years in 
business for manufacturing. 

 Ron Wickersham started as the Grateful Dead’s 
sound system engineer and Alembic, the company 
he started, was the guitar builder for Jerry Garcia. 

 The NAMM Show, January 24 through January 
27 welcomed over 2,000 exhibiting member 
companies, representing 7,000 brands. NAMM 
started in 1902 in Baltimore and is the oldest 
music trade show in the country. The next show 
will be January 16 to 19, 2020. 

ROCKIN’ ROLLERS HOSTS ST. BALDRICK’S 
FOUNDATION HEAD-SHAVING EVENT TO RAISE 
FUNDS FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER RESEARCH 
WITH A GOAL TO RAISE $5,000

Rockin’ Rollers in Sierra Madre, CA, will host a St. 
Baldrick’s Foundation signature head-shaving event 
to raise funds for lifesaving childhood cancer research 
on Sunday, February 24, 2019. With a goal of raising 
$5,000 shavee participants are invited to register to 
shave their head to support the Foundation’s mission 
to fund the best research to find cures and better 
treatments for kids with cancer! 

 One in five children diagnosed with cancer 
in the U.S. will not survive.Those who do survive 
often suffer long-term effects from treatment too 
harsh for their developing bodies. As the largest 
private funder of childhood cancer research grants, 
St. Baldrick’s Foundation is leading the charge 
to take childhood back from cancer. Donations 
raised at events like this support the development 
of childhood cancer treatments that gives kids their 
best chance at growing up cancer free. 

 February 24, 2019 Event will start at 1PM 

 38 E. Montecito Avenue Sierra Madre, CA 91024 

SIERRA MADRE POLICE BLOTTER

RIBOLI FAMILY Continued from Page 1 

During this period, the Sierra Madre Police Department 
responded to approximately 317 day and night time calls 
for service.

Monday, January 21

A theft by unknown suspect(s) from an unlocked 
vehicle was reported to have occurred in the driveway 
in the 100 block of Coburn Ave. sometime between 
Sunday, 1/20/19, at about 5:00PM and Monday, 1/21/19, 
at about 8:00AM. A tennis bag, tennis rackets, a jacket 
and possibly a checkbook were apparently removed 
from the vehicle.

Case to Detectives

1:41PM

Officers were dispatched to interview a citizen to report 
that his tires, radio and speakers were stolen from his 
vehicle. The vehicle was parked to the rear of a building 
in the 100 block of W. Sierra Madre Bl. The apparent 
theft occurred sometime between 1/18/19 at 5:00PM 
and 1/21/19 at 10:00AM.

Case to Detectives

Wednesday, January 23

Between 1/20/19 at 10:15AM and 1/23/19 at 8:29AM, 
an unknown suspect(s) entered a commercial building 
by prying a door in the 00 block of N Baldwin Ave. The 
suspect(s) then entered the building, pried open an 
office door, pried open a safe and took a bag containing 
money. The suspect(s) then fled in an unknown 
direction by unknown means. 

Case to Detectives

Saturday, January 26

At about 2:14PM, officers responded to the 00 block 
of 94 N Baldwin Ave. regarding several juveniles that 
were seen attempting to break into a vacant structure. 
Officers made contact with several juveniles. Further 
investigation revealed that the juveniles were trespassing 
and were released to their parents.

Sunday, January 27, 

At about 2:00AM a resident reported that her daughter 
parked and locked her car in the driveway in the 200 
block of N. Sunnyside Ave. At about 6:00AM, the 
resident discovered the vehicle had been stolen. No one 
had permission to drive the vehicle and a set of keys is 
missing.

Case to Detectives

9:42AM

A report of a theft of a vehicle was reported in the 
station’s lobby by a resident who parked his vehicle 
in his carport in the 500 block of W. Sierra Madre 
Bl. at about 12:20AM. The VW Golf was locked 
and secured. At 9:00AM the, victim's wife went to 
place a bag in the vehicle and discovered it had been 
stolen. No one had permission to drive the vehicle 
however, the victim’s purse was stolen on 1/25/19 in 
Los Angeles that contained her ID and the keys for 
the stolen vehicle.

Case to Detectives


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