Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, September 25, 2021

Mountain Views-News Saturday, September 25, 2021 

CONFUSED? SO ARE WE! 


There’s been all kinds of exciting reading 
coming our way in the last few months, as 
you know if you have been following what has 
been going on at City Hall. 

First came the Draft SEIR on August 3rd– 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Report. 
This is a report that is necessary for the changes 
to the General Plan, which was ratified in 
July, 2015. Then along came the Draft EIR on 
August 4th – Environmental Impact Report 
for the Monastery project of 42 new homes, 
which they are calling The Meadows at Bailey 
Canyon. New construction must have an 
Environmental Impact Report, and time must 
be allowed for the residents to comment. It is 
just what the title implies – the impact on the 
environment if the project is approved. 

Both are of extreme importance to the well 
being of our town. The SEIR is necessary to 
up zone some of our neighborhoods to build 
more housing, possibly apartments in our 
built- out city, to come up with the magic 
number given us by Sacramento of 208 new 
housing units in the next eight years. Because 
it is so difficult to actually come up with these 
numbers, the consultants have now devised a 
new plan of a church overlay zone to add units 
to three church parking lots and property 

– Bethany, Old North Church and the 
Methodist Church. We citizens had 49 days 
to study, review, and submit our questions, 
comments, and concerns by September 21. 
Meanwhile, the City, upon the request of the 
citizenry, still in the middle of Covid, extended 

the period of review for the Monastery draft 
EIR to 60 days. This EIR, with the appendices 
is 3425 pages long. The members of the 
Preserve Sierra Madre Steering Committee 
have been meeting and studying the many 
issues over the past six weeks, so that we can 
provide meaningful comments by the due 
date of October 4. Major issues addressed 
in the EIR include traffic through existing 
neighborhoods, building 42 two story large 
(2700-4000 sq ft) homes in a very high fire 
zone, near several earthquake faults, and the 
removal of 100 mature trees. 

A total of 4331 pages to review, with an 
overlapping period of 49 days. This is 
unconscionable! What was City Hall 
thinking? You can see both on the City’s 
website. We requested an extension to review 
and respond to the SEIR (the Housing Element 
of the General Plan), which had a deadline of 
September 21, but it was not extended. 

If you have concerns, comments, questions, 
on the Meadows at Bailey Canyon EIR, please 
get these comments on the Monastery EIR in 
by 5 pm on October 4Email your comments 
to vgonzalez@cityofsierramadre.com, or drop 
any hard copies off at City Hall addressed 
to Vincent Gonzalez, Director of Planning 
and Community Preservation, 232 W. Sierra 
Madre Boulevard, Sierra Madre, CA 91024,
but make sure City Hall is open (phone is 
355-7135). All comments received by that 
date must be included in the final EIR, and 
the consultant who prepared the EIR will 
respond to them. Your voice matters! 

REGISTRATION OPEN FOR 
DOWNTOWN 
HALLOWEEN ART 

Sierra Madre Civic Club is calling all Sierra Madre households 
to sign up for the 2021 Downtown Halloween ARTevent. The activity is sponsored by Sierra Madre Civic Cluband is free to participants. 

All ages from a single address are welcome to draw or paintany Halloween theme on the paper “canvas” that will bedelivered free to your front door. Any medium you chosefor your artwork is acceptable – crayons, markers, pencils,
paint and ink are just a few ideas. Be creative! 


To register, sign up on-line on our website: sierramadrecivicclub.org before October 8, 2021. 
You will find additional information about the activity on the website. The deadline to return 
your completed artwork is October 19th. 
If you have any questions, please contact Karma Bell, Civic Club Halloween Chair at 3556487, 
or info@sierramadrecivicclub.com 

SIERRA MADRE POLICE BLOTTER 

September 12, 2021 to September 18, 2021 During this period the Sierra Madre Police Department responded 
to 206 calls for service. 

Controlled Substance 
On 9-12-21 at 2:09PM, officers responded to a call of a welfare check on a female in the area of Lima 
St. and W. Sierra Madre Blvd. Following a field interview and assessment of her behavior, the officers 
determined that the female was under the influence of a controlled substance. The female was taken to 
the Pasadena Jail for booking. Case to DA’s office. 

D.U.I. 
At 1:26AM on 9-13-21, officers conducted a traffic stop for vehicle code violations in the 600 block of 

W. Highland Ave. After further investigation, the driver was arrested for narcotics and driving under 
the influence of narcotics. Case to DA’s office 
Bicycle Thefts 
Sometime between 9-8-21 at 5:00PM and 9-13-21 at 9:20AM, unknown suspect(s) entered rear car 
ports at two locations in the 00 block of Esperanza Ave. and stole an unsecured bicycle and cut the 
security chain on another. Cases to Detectives 

Theft from a Vehicle 
On 9-13-21, between 1:15PM and 1:55PM, an unknown suspect(s) smashed the passenger window of 
a locked vehicle in the 200 block of S. Sunnyside Ave. and removed personal items. Case to Detectives 

Burglary 
Between 9-6-21 at 10:00AM and 9-14-21 at 1800 hours, a residential burglary occurred in the 1000 
block of Liliano Dr. The house was ransacked with personal items taken.Case to Detectives 

D.U.I. 
On 9-17-21 at 10:29PM, a vehicle was stopped for a vehicle code violation in the 00 block of W. Sierra 
Madre Blvd. The driver was found to be under the influence of an alcoholic beverage following a Field 
Sobriety test. The driver was arrested and taken to a local hospital for a blood test, then to Pasadena 
Jail for booking. Case to the Pasadena DA’s office 

A WORD FROM SIERRA MADRE PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS 
ASSOCIATION LOCAL 5216

 The Sierra Madre Fire Department is excited to announce its 34th Annual Fire Prevention 
Festival taking place on Saturday, October 9th, at Memorial Park, from 9AM to Noon.

 The Sierra Madre Fire Department's goal is to educate our community members on how to 
best prepare for, and stay safe during, a fire emergency. Stop by the fire prevention festival to 
get important educational information, meet with local agencies, and participate in a variety of 
fun activities. Bring the kids for a fun and engaging activity hub that will include games, arts 
and crafts, goodie bags, and a chance to meet Smokey the Bear!

 Many local agencies will be represented at this year's festival, including the Sierra Madre Police 
Department, LA County Fire Department, Angeles National Forest, Sierra Madre Search & 
Rescue, Pasadena Humane Society, and many more. Stay tuned for more updates. 

WALKING SIERRA MADRE - The Social Side 

by Deanne Davis 

“And then the sun took a step back, the 
leaves lulled themselves to sleep, and 
Autumn was awakened.” Raquel Franco 

“The windows are open admitting the 
September breeze: 
a month that smells like notepaper and 
pencil shavings, autumn leaves and car oil. 
A month that smells like progress, like 
moving on.” Lauren Oliver 

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, 
but rarely admit the changes it has gone 
through to achieve that beauty.” 
Maya Angelou 

It’s actually cooling off a bit, much to 
everyone’s relief. Walking through Kohl’s 
yesterday to see if we could find some shorts 
for 11-year old Emily, we passed rack after 
rack of heavy sweaters, hooded sweatshirts 
and clothes that look more like something 
you’d find in Antarctica today where it’s a 
bracing -77 degrees. Everywhere else it’s in 
the comfortable 70’s and a sweater will not Gainsworth Kindle adventure fans, these 


be required. Right here where I am it was 

are Emma’s prize-winning cookies. 

a very pleasant 71 degrees at 6 a.m. and I 
was able to take a picture of the full moon 

Giant Pumpkin Cookies 

and walk around the block twice. There 

3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

was a breeze and the gnats, which have 

2-1/3 cups old fashioned oats 

made being outside lately something akin 

1-3/4 tsp. baking soda 

to sheer torture, were not out and about 

1-1/2 tsp. salt 

yet. Last week high 90’s and horrendous 

2 tsp. cinnamon (generous) 

humidity at that same time made going 

½ tsp. nutmeg 

outside a very bad idea. The picture this 

¼ tsp. ground cloves 

week is of an amazing pumpkin that must 
weigh a couple hundred pounds! My full 

Combine all the above together in a big 

moon picture isn’t newspaper worthy. If 

bowl. Blend the following with your 

Sierra Madre photographers Robert Gjerde 

electric mixer, then gradually add the flour 

or Lawrence Taylor had taken it, we would 

mixture. 

have an award-winning photo. Speaking 
of pictures, several people have asked me 

3-1/2 sticks butter, softened 

where I got that great picture in last week’s 

1-3/4 cups white sugar 

paper of the Pumpkin Person. It was up on 

1-3/4 cups packed brown sugar 

Grandview about two years ago, one of the 

1 (15 oz) can Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin 

entries in Creative Arts’ Scarecrow Contest. 

2 large eggs1-3/4 tsp. vanilla extract 

Speaking of the Scarecrow contest, if you’re 
planning to participate, you’d better have 

Stir in as many pecans, walnuts, dried 

your scarecrow ready for viewing today! 

cranberries, raisins as you’d like to have. 

And be looking for these fabulous creations 

Chill the dough before baking. Drop 

all over town, friends and neighbors. More 

tablespoons of dough on a greased cookie 

scarecrows coming up here in the next few 

sheet, bake in preheated 350- degree oven 

weeks. 

for 14 to 16 minutes or until firm and 
lightly browned. Enjoy and share. 

So happy to see that the Sierra Madre Civic 
Club has come up with a great new idea 

“Normally Halloween was like Christmas 

for Halloween art. Instead of smearing 

for me. I would anticipate it for weeks, 

paint all over the windows of our kind and 

decorating myself and the house, as well 

obliging downtown businesses, families or 

as strolling around the neighborhood, 

individuals can create a piece of original 

admiring everyone else’s decorations. 

art that will be displayed downtown from 

Nothing lifts my spirit like a scarecrow in 

October 22nd through November 3rd. This 

the front yard.” Damien Echols 

is so neat. You get the “canvas” from the 
Civic Club and everyone in your family can 

“I hate to be obvious,” added the Scarecrow, 

participate in whatever medium you want. 

“but you’d have saved yourself a heap of 

Leisure time to create, no cleanup and your 

trouble if you weren’t too cheap to invest in 

art will be available for all the world to 

a leash, Dorothy.” Gregory Maguire 

enjoy. 

Watch for scarecrows…you never know 

Looking at the pumpkins which are 

where you’ll see one! 

sprouting up here and there, I thought 
it was high time to think about some 

My book page: 

pumpkin cookies and these are absolutely 

Amazon.com: Deanne Davis 

the best. This recipe makes a lot of cookies 
and the cookie dough will last indefinitely 

For you Emma Gainsworth fans, all her 

in the refrigerator. They make a great gift, 

escapades are there AND, there’s a new 

by the way, and when you drop some off 

Emma adventure about to release as a 

with someone who might be a teeny bit 

Kindle book! 

annoyed with you, they will immediately 

Emma Gainsworth: Rising From The 

forgive you. Trust me! For all my Emma 

Ashes 


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