Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, April 16, 2022

Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 16, 2022 

MONASTERY MINUTE: 

By Robert Gjerde 

DOES SIERRA MADRE NEED ANOTHER PARK? 

Is it possible for a city to have too many parks? No one has seriously said, “I really like Sierra 
Madre but they just have too many parks! Yuck! One of the concessions on the Meadows 
housing project is that they provide a new three acre park, with parking, and where the 
ongoing maintenance will be paid through an assessment on the new homes. You might be 
thinking that there is a park just to the east and we don’t need another park in that area. Bailey 
Canyon Park is a wilderness park and doesn’t have the important amenities of an urban 
park with grass and play structures for young children. The park will be what is called a passive 
park, to limit the noise for neighbors and the Retreat Center, rather than having fields 
for organized sports. The water for the park will be included in the net-zero water offset so it 
will not require the city to buy additional water out of city funds. The park will also include 
an underground water basin to capture rain runoff to put water back into the aquifer. One 
metric used to evaluate the need for a park is the Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore index 
where every resident should be within a 10 minute walk of a park. They show a deficit on 
the northwest end of town and adding this new park will cut Sierra Madre’s park deficit in 
half from 3.4% to 1.7%, plus it will help meet the General Plan’s objective of adding new 
park space to the city. 

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 

IS IT A FACT IF IT IS A 
HALF-TRUTH? 
It seems as if Ed Miller in his letter to the 
Mountain Views News April 2nd edition titled 
“Just the Facts: The Meadows Development 
and Religious Freedom” has violated his article 
title by not giving “Just the Facts”, but a half-
truth version of what he believes is in the ini-
tiative being circulated to change the zoning of 
the Mater Dolorosa property. Specifically, he is 
asking that the zoning for this entire property 
be changed from its current designation which 
is specified in the General Plan as Institutional, 
to Hillside Residential. He states that this is 
the will of the General Plan. This is far from 
the truth. Nowhere in the General Plan does it 
state that the property owned by Mater Dolo-
rosa will be zoned Hillside Residential, 
Mr. Miller also helpfully cites the Religious 
Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act 
(RLUIPA) and believes that the initiative only 
prevents Mater Dolorosa from building a 42 
home development. What he doesn’t tell the 
readers is that it also prevents the entire prop-
erty including the portion of the property 
which houses the Retreat Center, from being 
used as the current Institutional designation 
but instead can only use it as a Retreat Center 
“without expansion, significant physical altera-
tion, or change in use,”. This restricts the Re-
treat Center to any changes should they wish 
to expand their religious activities. This is in 
clear violation of RLUIPA which he cites. 
As one of the originators of the initiative 
pointed out “They have not created a devel-
opment site yet, it is still only one parcel. You 
can’t put restrictions on a site that doesn’t ex-
ist”. – Barbara Vellturo. Bingo! This initiative 
is designed to change the zoning to all of the 
property not just the 20 acres designated for 
the development. We couldn’t have said it any 
better than that. 
It is a specious argument for Mr. Miller to 
compare building something outlandish as a 
“slaughterhouse or nuclear power plant” to 
a development of 42 houses as violating reli-
gious freedom. The Passionists are asking for 
a portion of the property to be changed from 
Institutional and have only applied for and 
been granted the process for a zone change to 
accommodate the proposed residential devel-
opment. To arbitrarily deny them the oppor-
tunity as all other property owners in Sierra 
Madre are afforded to ask for a zone change, 
is discriminating, to say the least, regardless of 
religious affiliation. 
The misinformation continues in the Preserve 
Sierra Madre column of the Mountain Views 
News edition of April 9th, which states “Pre-
serve Sierra Madre has promised residents to 
be the fact finders in our fair town”. Yet, their 
column states the biggest whopper yet. In it, 
the statement that “The petition will not hurt 
the Passionists Fathers, who will still be able to 
sell their 20 acres to NUW, or any other devel-
oper to build housing and still be able to use 
their property for any religious purpose.” This 
is an out-and-out falsehood. As cited above, 
the initiative clearly states that all of the Ma-
ter Dolorosa property will be included in the 
hillside ordinance and the “Mater Dolorosa 
Retreat Center” will only be permitted to oper-
ate as a non-conforming use, “without expan-
sion, significant physical alteration or change 
in use.” This means any other religious use as 
well. 
It appears that yet another group of citizens 
committed to “Preserve Sierra Madre” has not 
yet read the entire initiative, or they’re trying 
to fool you into believing that the initiative will 
only stop the current proposed development 
and nothing else. When is a fact not a fact but 
instead a half-truth? 
Sierra Madre Neighbors for Fairness. 
WALKING SIERRA MADRE - The Social Side 


by Deanne Davis 

“Spring unlocks the flowers 
to paint the laughing soil.” 
Bishop Reginald Heber 

Tomorrow is Easter, friends 
and neighbors, a time of 
celebration and joy. What 
Easter is really about is 
the fact that the stone was 
rolled away and there was 
an empty tomb. As the angel 
said, “He is not here. He is 
risen!” This is the amazing 
concept upon which many 
of us base our lives. A lot of 
us, including me, will still 
be live-streaming our Easter 
service, but, as always, it will 
be the most meaningful day 
ever. 

Yes, we might have brunch reservations and be 
thinking thoughts of eggs benedict and a mimosa. 
But we might also still be remembering 
the Good Friday service that made us think 
long and hard about what actually happened 
the three days before Easter. 

I’ve been remembering a wonderful, peaceful, 
reflective time walking through the stations of 
the cross with John up at Mater Dolorosa on 
a foggy morning and seeing deer wandering 
through the trees, sitting down for a few minutes 
on one of the benches and just ‘being still 
and knowing that He is God.’ 

You’ll remember that one of Jesus very own 
disciples, Judas Iscariot, would betray him 
with a kiss, having sold his friend for 30 pieces 
of silver. Another of his disciples would swear 
that he never knew Jesus and certainly wasn’t 
one of his disciples. Another of the twelve who 
had walked with Jesus for three years, seen the 
lame walk, the blind see, and thousands fed 
with some little kid’s tuna sandwich, would 
be so intent on running away from the scene 
of Jesus’ arrest that he would wiggle out of his 
cloak, leaving it behind in the hands of some 
Roman soldier, and run into the night, clad 
only in his Fruit of the Looms. 

I’ve wondered if Judas might have regretted 
betraying Jesus. After all, he tried to give the 
money back. We don’t really know, do we, what 
happened except that it all went wrong… “and 
Satan entered into Judas…” Luke 22:3 

I’ve wondered if Judas might have thought 
something like this song, from “Hands!” The 
Musical, by David Wheatley and me… “I’d 
Like Another Yesterday” 

“I’d like another yesterday.
Turn back the hours, make it yesterday.
I’d walk these roads again with you,
Share wine and bread and share the laughter, 
too. 
I’d like another yesterday,
To feel the sun again upon my face.
To listen to the things you say.
This time, believe you really are…The Way.
And now it’s all come down to this. I’ve betrayed 
you with a kiss.
These silver coins fall through my fingers, like 
petals from a rose.
Too late to change things, I suppose…” 

But tomorrow is Easter! He is 
risen! He is risen, indeed! I hope 
this poem will help you see that 
first Easter through the eyes of 
Jesus’ friends. Their world had 
just been completely upended. 

Before dawn…Easter Sunday…
The sky was gray…The world 
was hushed… 

The women walked toward a 
tomb, 
Jars of spices in their hands,
To tend the One, the One Who 
died, crucified that Friday. 

The women walked, Mary 
Magdalene and another.

The walked and wondered, who would roll 
away the stone.
They stopped to rest, await the day, sad eyes 
filled with tears. 
Sorrow for the One Who died, crucified that 
Friday. 

Another dawn, another day, what did it matter 
anyway?
The one who loved her as she was, Who 
changed her life, was gone.
They raised their eyes to see the sky, streaks of 
pink and gold.
And then they saw the guards were gone.
The stone was rolled away! 

The grief they’d felt since Friday, like the 
stone, was rolled away.
They grabbed those jars of spices and running 
like a child, 
Climbed that hill to tend their Lord. 
Before dawn on Sunday. 

They looked inside that borrowed tomb, petrified 
with fright.
An angel sat there on the stone, clothed in 
brilliant white. 
“I know the One you seek,” he said, “Jesus, 
crucified. 
He is not here, he’s risen! He’s risen, as he said. 
Now go! And tell the others, He’s risen as he 
said. 

Look not for the living, here among the dead!
He is not here, He’s risen, risen as He said.” 
Joy broke free and hope broke free, 
Before dawn that first Easter Sunday. 

May this Easter bring you closer to the Risen 
Lord than ever before and may joy and hope 
break free within you, too, as you celebrate the 
One Who is risen. 

Remember Ukraine in your thoughts and 
prayers. 

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

4TH OF JULY COMMITTEE SEEKS 
GRAND MARSHAL NOMINATIONS 

Does some you know go above and beyond to help the community? Is there in your opinion 
a Sierra Madre Super Hero? 
The Volunteer Sierra Madre 4th of July Committee looking for extortionary Sierra Madreans 
as the next Sierra Madre 4th of July Grand Marshal. The Parade will be held as always 
the morning of July 4th. 
Parade Grand Marshal Nominees should embody the spirit of Sierra Madre, be an active 
volunteer in any of the local nonprofit organizations, schools or overall community and in 
some way contributed to the betterment of Sierra Madre. Nominees may be an individual 
or volunteers or an organization. 
Nominations must be submitted in writing by Friday, April 29th and should be sent to the 
4th of July Committee, PO Box 1073 Sierra Madre CA 91025 or emailed to 
4thofjulysierramadre@gmail.com. Nominations should be no more than 1 page but at 
least a paragraph explaining why the honor should be given including contributions to 
the Sierra Madre community. 

Previous Grand Marshals have included 2021, The Buccaneer Lounge, 2020-SM Thrives, 
2019-Bud Switzer, 2018 Steve Heydorff, 2017 Derek Podrebarac, 2016 Pete Siberell and 
Hometown Hero Kris Lowe, 2015 Clem and Nina Bartolai, 2014 Pat & DeAlcorn & 
Hometown Heroes Sierra Madre Search and Rescue, 2013 VFW Post 3208 & Hometown 
Hero Mama Pete; 2012 Nel and Bob Soltz (Wistaria Vine owners); 2011 Gayle Bluemel 
& Hometown Hero John Shear; 2010 Lew Wantanabe; 2009 Midge Morash; 2008 Sierra 
Madre Fire Department; 2007 Ward Family (E. Waldo Ward & Sons); 2006 Judy Webb 
Martin & Toni Buckner & Hometown Hero Barbara Wamboldt; 2005 Police Chief Wayne 
Bailey; 2004 Doug Berkshire; 2003 John Grijalva; 2002 Bob Quamstrom; 2001 Ty Gaffney; 
2000 Dr. Bill White; and 1999 Jim & Barbara Heasley. 

This All-American friends and family event is made possible through the wonderful contribution 
of donors and sponsors. If you’d like to help please visit http://www.sierramadrefourthofjuly.
com/ or follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/4thofJulyInfo 

This Week’s Highlights: 

LOCAL RESIDENT OFFERS A 
CHALLENGE 
GOOD WITH CROSSWORD 
PUZZLES? 
THINK YOU KNOW THE CITY? 
Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com 
SIERRA MADRE NEWS3/4 7 NEW! 
SIERRA MADRE CROSSWORD 
PUZZLE CONTEST 
AROUND SAN 
GABRIEL VALLEY 12 MONASTERY MOMENTS 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 
WALKING SIERRA MADRE 
CALENDAR 
POLICE BLOTTERS 
LA COUNTY HEALTH 
5 PASADENA/ALTADENA 
6 SURROUNDING CITIES 
8 BEST FRIENDS & MORE 
9 THE GOOD LIFE 
10 EDUCATION & YOUTH 
13 
14 
15 
OPINION 
LEGAL NOTICES 
PUBLIC NOTICES 
YOUTH SPORTS 
10