Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, March 5, 2022

Mountain Views-News Saturday, March 5, 2022 

REMEBRANCES 

CARROLL BINGHAM BROWN 
April 30, 1942 – February 7, 2022 

Long time Sierra Madre resident, Carroll Bingham Brown 
passed away February 7th, 2022. She fought cancer gallantly. 
No matter how sick she was, she was determined to stay in 
touch with her family and friends and continue to walk, train 
and show her beloved Sheltie, Bravo. 

As a teenager, Carroll moved to San Marino from her birthplace 
in Washington, Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of San 
Marino High School, Pasadena City College and Sawyer 
School of Business. She en-joyed her career at Jet Propulsion 
Laboratory and Cal Tech. 

Carroll was a beloved member of the Sierra Madre Community 
serving on several committees for the annual 4th of July 
festivities and the Rose Bowl Float Association. Most Sierra 
Madre residents will probably recognize Carroll and her beloved 
Shelties. She was active in numerous kennel clubs including 
Pasinata Obedience Club. Her love of animals also 
extended outside her home as a volunteer at the Pasadena 
Humane Society. 
Carroll enjoyed her work training her Shelties and received numerous achievement awards. One of her beloved 
dog’s, Freedom, was in numerous advertisements for Pet Co as well as an animal actor in the Disney Movie 
Air Bud. 


A long-term resident of the Hastings Oaks Condominiums, Carroll thoroughly enjoyed serving on the HOA 
Board and especially working alongside the other residents who were not just neighbors but part of her extended 
family. 

Carroll was the loving daughter of San Marino residents Thomas and Margaret Brown, and the granddaughter 
of Earle R. and Margaret Forrest of Washington, Pennsylvania, and sister of, Robert Forrest Brown. She is 
survived by her nieces and nephews Kathy Cash, Kellidawn Gililland, Richard Brown and Michael Brown and 
their families. They invite you to join them for a Celebration of Life gathering at Memorial Park, 222 Sierra 
Madre Blvd, Sierra Madre, California at Noon on March 22, 2022. All are welcome. In lieu of flowers, donations 
may be made to the Pasadena Humane Socie-ty. www.pasadenahumane.org/give/donate/ 

SIERRA MADRE FIRSTS 

All Things By Jeff Brown

Anita Carter,the 1st girl born in Sierra 
Madre,married the 1st boy born here,Holt 
Gregory. 

The 1st public building erected in Sierra Madre was the school house on Orange Grove and Hermosa in 1878. 

The first wedding was March 7,1883.The young couple built the original house where the Wisteria vine is on 
Carter. 

The 1st store in Sierra Madre was W.H. Robinson's grocery in 1884 in his own home east of Baldwin and south 
of Central later changed to Sierra Madre blvd. He later rented the corner store in the New Town Hall in 1887.
His wife became postmaster with the post office in the rear of the store. 

In 1886 C.M.Clark started a hardware store at Lima & Sierra Madre Blvd. 

In 1886 Emile Deutsch Came to Sierra Madre and built a house & cigar factory on Baldwin near Laurel. 

The 1st religious organization wa Sunday School in 1882 held in the school house. 

The 1st church erected in 1886 blew down in 1887 from a windstorm and the town built a new one The Church 
Of Ascension which today stands at Baldwin and Laurel. 

The library is the 4th oldest in L.A.County & the 10th oldest in So. California.It was founded by the original 
settlers in 1886.In 1888 it had 600 books. 

On Nov.1908,Mayor Jones proclaimed the day a holiday so that everyone could get out and clean up the streets.
At 5:30 that morning,Henry Homer of Revolutionary stock awaked the townspeople by setting off dynamite.
The church & school bells rang to call the people to their tasks. 

WE NEED A TOWN HALL MEETING 

Members of the Preserve Sierra Madre Steering Com


mittee attended the five hour Joint Meeting of the City 

Council and Planning Commission held at the Mid


dle School this week. Presentations were made by the 

developer, New Urban West, Father Higgins of Ma


ter Dolorosa, City Manager Jose Reynoso, Planning 

Director Vincent Gonzalez, and City lawyer Aleks 

Giragosian. 

 According to the agenda, this was a study session to 

inform our representatives and the residents of what is 

happening with the Mater Dolorosa property, owned 

by the Passionist Fathers. Starting a meeting at 5 pm 

insured that many working residents were unable to 

make the early weeknight start time, including Plan


ning Commissioner Chairperson, Dr. Pevsner, who 

arrived closer to 6. Approximately 90 persons out of 

over 10,000 residents were in attendance and 29 made 

public comments. 

 Twenty-four emails were received, but were not read, 

and will be posted somewhere on the City website. 

Those of us in attendance were allowed to speak after 

the presentations, but were limited to three minutes. 

Several of us were asked by Mayor Goss to remem


ber that there was a three minute rule for ending our 

talk. The few who spoke in favor of this project were 

mainly affiliated with the property: staff, fathers and 

a board member. The rest offered well-thought out, 

well-researched concerns regarding the cutting down 

of over 100 trees on the property, as well as the large 

pine trees in the Bailey Canyon Wilderness Park to al


low for the widening of Carter Avenue. Others cited 

the destruction of the habitat of endangered wildlife, 

the huge increase in traffic, the nonadherence to the 

General Plan, and the “net zero” water plan which, in 

essence, is non-existent. 

 Following a break, The Planning Commissioners 

and City Council members asked questions regarding 

the main issues they heard from the public comments, 

some of which could be answered, some not. We be


lieve these issues need to be studied further. These in


clude traffic, wildlife, fire protection, landscaping and 

land use. 

A number of residents send in detailed questions 

ahead of the meeting and asked that they be addressed 

to the experts. The responses were general and, in 

many cases, did not address the questions submitted. 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR 

I attended the Join City Council/Planning Commission/
New Urban West (developers) meeting on Tuesday, 
March 1 at Sierra Madre Middle School. We 
spent 45 minutes watching a visual presentation from 
New Urban West (NUW) on behalf of the Monastery 
development, referred to as “The Meadows.” 
It was quite an informative evening which began very 
early…5 pm, making it difficult for many residents to 
attend. I have spoken to many neighbors who are uninformed 
about how this property will be developed. 
The priests have spread their side of the issue of building 
42 large homes, but there is so much more to be 
learned from the citizens of Sierra Madre. 
We need more time for the entire community to 
KNOW exactly what is happening. Pat Alcorn asked 
for a Town Hall Meeting, and this request must be 
honored to clarify these issues and problems. 
This is not a small development in our community. 
It is HUGE, creating a lifetime negative impact on 
all of us in this charming little close knit town. Yes, 
I heard rhetoric from people in attendance who support 
the Monastery, but it was all redundant. They 
spoke of their long term commitment to the commu-


We asked again for a Town Hall type meeting, where 
we could actually get our questions answered with a 
back and forth discussion without the three minute 
time limit. We pointed out that there is misinformation 
out there and it would be beneficial for all to get 
the facts. We would like to see second opinions on 
many of the residents’ concerns, just as the Planning 
Commission at an earlier meeting asked for a second 
opinion about the impacts of construction to the Wistaria 
Vine by the new owner (who immediately sold 
the property).
Some of those misconceptions are about “The Monastery.” 
The Monastery has been gone for 30 years, 
after being damaged in the 1991 earthquake, and torn 
down in 1992. The decision was made not to rebuild. 
The handwriting has been on the wall for decades as 
the number of retreat centers is steadily declining in 
the US. Many have made the decision to close and 
sell, due to the declining number of new priests coming 
into the order and the costs of caring for an older 
population of clergy. The Passionists of Chicago, 
who hold title to the property, have property rights, 
as we all do, but none of us can do whatever we want 
because there are zoning laws in our city that apply 
fairly to everyone. One man, who struggled up to the 
podium on crutches, spoke about how difficult it was 
to get his small remodeling done to make his home 
more handicapped accessible. 
Many concerned residents could not make the meeting, 
or stay for the entire five hours. We have been 
asked when and how this meeting will be aired, but 
have not received an answer from City Hall. As always, 
we’ll keep you posted. 

Deb Sheridan 

nity, providing retreats, prayers, spiritual guidance, 
and tranquility. While I respect their commitment 
to the Passionist Priests, it was interesting how little 
they acknowledged the overuse of water (referred 
by NUW as Net Zero), the years of building and the 
trucks, dirt and dust which will impact the air quality 
and safety on the streets, and will damage the environment. 
They have praised living here, but once the construction 
begins they will not suffer the removal of the 
trees, which will result in killing endangered animals, 
who live in the very trees to be removed.
One resident clearly stated that because there will be a 
large “park” for the residents of Sierra Madre, as well 
as those of the Meadows, bears, lions, and other animals 
will still roam the Monastery grounds. How will 
these animals react to groups of families taking up 
their space in their habitat?
There were several well informed residents who gave 
vital statistics about the negative impacts to the environment. 
All of our citizens must learn these facts. 
With several Town Hall meetings, residents could become 
more informed, both pro and con. Our 10,000 
residents deserve this. We did this with the General 
Plan, and it must be the same for this project. This issue 
cannot be so easily dismissed, which City Council 
has done for months. Carol Parker, Sierra Madre 

WALKING SIERRA MADRE - The Social Side 

by Deanne Davis 

“Until further notice, celebrate everything!” 
David Wolfe 

I’m writing Walking Sierra Madre on March 1st, 
which is our daughter, Patti’s birthday and our 
granddaughter, Nicole’s birthday. Patti gave herself 
a tremendous gift on her birthday some years 
ago of a daughter, that very same Nicole. I shan’t 
say how old anyone is because, as my grandmother, 
Louise Pitzer Sessions, always said, “a lady’s age 
is nobody’s business but her own!” So happy birthday 
Patti and Nicole! May it be a day filled with 
joy, laughter and sunshine. 

Out walking this morning, a pleasantly non-freezing 
morning for a change, I walked up to the end 
of the street where the sidewalk ends (thank you, 
Shel Silverstein for that phrase) but wait a minute, 
let’s keep going with that thought… 


“Where The Sidewalk Ends” 
Shel Silverstein 

There is a place where the sidewalk endsAnd before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flightTo cool in the peppermint wind. 

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows blackAnd the dark street winds and bends. 
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers growWe shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow, 
And watch where the chalk-white arrows goTo the place where the sidewalk ends. 

Yes, we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow, 
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they knowThe place where the sidewalk ends. 

There now, didn’t you enjoy that! But getting back on track, as I passed the post supporting 
the barrier where the street and the sidewalk end, I saw this beautiful little 
painted stone sitting on the post. I took its picture and left it there for someone else to 
see and wonder who painted it and put it there. And that, dear friends and neighbors, 
is my unexpected pleasure for today. It was awesome. And, speaking of awesome, 
I don’t know if you’ve heard of this book: The Book of Awesome, by Neil Pasricha, 
which I immediately bought for myself from Amazon for $11.08. I loved all the awesome 
things Neil Pasricha listed and they got me thinking about all the awesome 
things around me. 

Awesome is an adjective meaning extremely impressive or daunting, inspiring great 
admiration. 

You’ll be able to whip up your own list of awesome things in about ten seconds because 
we are surrounded by awesomeness. Here are a few of mine: 

• Watching the sun come up every day 
• The first cup of coffee in the morning 
• Seeing a friend you haven’t seen in a while 
• Reading a really good book 
• Finding a $5 bill in your pocket 
• Getting a letter in the mail 
• Turning the seat warmer on in your car 
• Having a good hair day 
• Finding something on sale unexpectedly 
• Flowers. Any kind of flower, any color, any shape. 
• Weighing yourself and finding you’ve actually lost a pound or two. 
• Unexpectedly seeing the full moon early in the morning. 
I am filled with sadness over the plight of those who live in Ukraine. Millions are 
praying for these brave people to survive this brutal attack. My Pastor, Scott Daniels, 
spoke of the churches in Ukraine where people have come for shelter and where they 
continue to sing praise music and rejoice in what God is doing there, in spite of all 
the tragedy. The most amazing thing, to me, is that so many Ukrainians have come 
back across the borders from safety to join in the fight to save their land. Watching 
the news this morning, the reporter commented that it made her think of the American 
Revolution where people found any kind of weapon they could find and stood 
together to fight for freedom. God bless and help the people of Ukraine and bring 
peace back to their land. 

“War is not healthy for children and other living things.” 

My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis 
Easter is on its way and “The Crown”
My story about what happened to that crown of thornsIs now a real book in addition to a Kindle! Also available on Amazon.com 
If you want to check it out, here’s the link where you can see a short video:
https://youtu.be/Y_pC0X286T8 


SIERRA MADRE POLICE BLOTTER 

WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT February 20-26, 2022 
224 Calls for Service 14 Formal Invetivations 

The following represents a summary report 
of some of the major incidents handled by 
the Sierra Ma-dre Police Department during 
this period. This list is not intended to be 
considered exclusive or all-inclusive. 
Sunday, February 20 Hit and Run Traffic 
Collision 
A victim in the 600 block of E. Sierra Madre 
Blvd reported that a vehicle driver collided 
with their parked vehicle and caused damage. 
The driver of the vehicle left the scene 
without leaving contact information. 
The Detectives' Bureau is following up on 
this incident. 
Fraud / Identity Theft A victim in the 00 
block of W. Grandview Ave reported an unknown 
suspect(s) obtaining their personal 
information and using it to obtain a credit 
card. The loss is unknown at this time. The 
Detectives' Bureau is following up on this 
incident. 

Monday, February 21 Commercial Burglary 
A victim in the 600 block of E. Sierra Madre 
Blvd reported an unknown suspect(s) stole 
the catalytic converters from seven of their 
vehicles. The loss is estimat-ed at approximately 
$14,000.00. The Detectives' Bureau 
is following up on this incident.
Vehicle Burglary A victim, in the 600 block 
of E. Sierra Madre Blvd reported an unknown 
suspect(s) smashed their vehicle 
window with an unidentified object. The 
suspect(s) then stole their purse and left the 
area. The loss is estimated at approximately 
$ 600.00. 

The Detectives' Bureau is following up on 
this incident. 

Trespass and Vandalism ArrestAt about 6:00 pm, officers responded to a 
call for trespassing at a residence in the 300 
block of N. Lima St. regarding a subject on 
the property in violation of a court-issued 
restraining order and damaged the victim’s 
property.
Ultimately, the subject was arrested and 
booked for violation of a restraining order 
and felony vandal-ism. 

Tuesday, February 22 Fraud / ForgeryA victim in the 100 block of W. Sierra Madre 
Blvd reported that an unknown suspect(s) 
illegally ob-tained and altered a business 
check. The suspect(s) then cashed the check 
for $20,000.00. The Detec-tives' Bureau is 
following up on this incident. 

Wednesday, February 23 TrespassA victim in the 400 block of N. Baldwin 
Ave reported that a suspect was illegally 
their room. While in the room, the suspect 
looked through several clothing drawers and 
removed some of the clothing. The Detectives' 
Bureau is following up on this incident. 

Saturday, February 19 Vehicle BurglaryIn the 700 block of W. Sierra Madre Blvd, a 
victim reported that an unknown suspect(s) 
forced entry into their parked vehicle. The 
loss is undetermined at this time. The Detectives' 
Bureau is following up on this incident. 

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