Sierra Madre News Net logo image and link to News Net home page

A Sierra Madre Community Information Website,

designed, developed, maintained and sponsored by The Coburn Group

More than 4,000 pages of Sierra Madre info, photos and video archives. 

The net might not catch everything, but the fishing's half the fun, right?

  

"I check two things every morning, your website and the

Wall Street Journal." --  V.E., Sierra Madre

Sierra Madre News Net is online only, we are not affiliated with the

Sierra Madre News print media, old or new

Now in our Thirteenth Year Covering Sierra Madre!!

This site is optimized for newer versions of Internet Explorer.  For best  results, use Internet Explorer.  There will be less scrolling if you set your display resolution at 1024 x 768

Multiple Award Winning Website

To get on the News Net e-mail list and receive notices of updates, click here, then click send.  We don't give away (or sell) your address, and notices are sent bcc: to protect your privacy

Home of

SierraMudre.Info

SierraMadreNewsNet.Blogspot.com

SierraMadreCalendar.Info

MtWilsonTrailRace.com

SierraMadre4thofJuly.us

SierraMadreRoseFloat.us

SMVolunteers.Info

SierraMadreWistariaFestival.com

Community Calendar SierraMadreCalendar.Info

Submit your event for the calendar here

SierraMadreNewsNet Blog - Care to share your thoughts?

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, just click on the link:   

Contact Us - Drop us a line and let us know what you think of the site

2010 Archives

2009 Archives

2008 Archives

2007 Archives

2006 Archives

2005 Archives 2004 Archives 2003 Archives 2002 Archives 2001 Archives 2000 Archives 1999 Archives 1998  Archives

Sierra Madre Local Business Web Pages

Sierra Madre Business Directory

Mountain Views News   Pasadena Star News Sierra Madre Patch Sierra Madre Weekly Sierra Madre Chamber Calendar

SierraMadreNews.Net on Facebook
Inside the News Net

Sierra Madre Business Web Pages  ($125/year, with dedicated domain name, add $50 - Sierra Madre businesses only)


Premium Advertiser Web Pages  ($250/year, with dedicated domain name, add $50 - non-Sierra Madre businesses allowed, includes premium link placement and logo)

**************

*************

 

Annual Sierra Madre Events

Arts in Sierra Madre

Sierra Madre Business

Community of Sierra Madre

Sierra Madre Real Estate

The Rest of the News Net


Local Business Web Pages

A Better Nanny

A+ Construction

Amperage Electric

Angels Everywear

Arnold's Frontier Hardware & Gifts

Bank of the West

Best Buy Drugs

Bill Traxler's Pool Service

Body Shop Private Fitness Studio

Cafe 322

Carmen Thibault, Sotheby's International Realty

Casa Del Rey Restaurant

Rambo, Century 21 Village Realty

E. Waldo Ward and Son

Epiphany California Realty

Four Seasons Tea Room

Gem Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning

Gwen Gordon, Fine Art/Graphic Design Solutions

Hands 2 Health Wellness Center, Dr. Teresa Smith, Chiropractor

Harlequin Art Gallery and Restoration

Highlander Jr. Market

Iris Intrigue

Janette Ledea, Tri-City ReMax

Joe Feeney Painting

Julia Rocks, Prof. Skin Care

Leonora Moss

The Louie Lucero Team

Lucky Baldwin's Delirium Pub

Mailbox & Postal

Moe's Automotive Service Center

Once Upon A Time

Real Estate Photography

Redstone Commercial Real Estate

Reni Rose, Prudential CA Realty

Rotary Club of Sierra Madre

Ruth Richardson, Fine/Portrait Artist

Savor the Flavor

Sierra Fitness

Sierra Madre Farmer's Market

Sierra Madre Grocery Company

Sierra Madre Homes For Sale

Sierra Madre Playhouse

Sierra Madre Self Storage

The Bottle Shop

The Coburn Group

The Destination Group

The Shabby Dog

Tres Immune, Inc.

Village Pizzeria

Webb-Martin Realtors

 

City Honors Employees, Volunteers at Sierra Madre Honors Dinner

Thursday, Sept. 15, 2008  Photos

 

The annual Sierra Madre Honors awards dinner to recognize top City employees and local volunteers was held at the Villa del Sol d’Oro on the campus at Alverno High School on Thursday, Sept. 15th.  The evening was emceed by Dennis Packer, the stadium voice of the USC Trojans football team.  Packer recently retired from LAPD after 35 years. Packer and his wife, Judy, recently purchased property in town and are building a new home in the lower canyon.

 

It was a rare evening, as all five Council Members were in attendance.

 

The evening opened with a welcome and the Pledge of Allegiance by Mayor Kurt Zimmerman, followed by the invocation by Police Chaplain Wayne Walters.  This was especially appropriate because Walters is also a member of the Rotary Club of Sierra Madre, which was the recipient of the first award given out, the Wistaria Award, which “recognizes a City/Community partnership and is presented to a local business or organization whose major contributions to the City and Community have demonstrated a true partnership which assists in and provides services, programs and enhances the general welfare of the community as a whole.”

 

The Rotary Club of Sierra Madre was founded in 1997 by Rob Stockly, Kris Poulsen, and Steve Garrett.  Poulsen accepted the award on behalf of Rotary at the request of Rotary President Carmen Thibault, who was unable to attend.  The contributions for which Rotary was recognized include its recent donation of more than $10,000 to the Fire Dept. to update radios, its “adoption” of the City’s newest park, Goldberg Park, and several thousand dollars in donations/matching grants for the Library’s recent landscape makeover.  Rotary also annually presents grants to high school seniors, teachers at local schools, and conducts an annual music competition, the Dan Stover Musical Competition, which awards grants and scholarships for those studying music.  A Leadership Camp for Teens is scheduled for November, and Rotary is currently seeking applicants.  Contact information can be found at www.rotaryclubofsierramadre.com, or stop by their Tuesday morning meeting at Café 322 at 7am to get more information.

 

Winner of the Public Service Award, aka Employee of the Year Award, was Jun Redil, a 19-year employee with the Water Department.  During that time, he has advance from Water Distribution M-Man to Lead Worker to his current position of Water Foreman.  Mr. Redil also serves as the City’s on-call person, and has done so for fifteen years, which takes on greater magnitude when one considers that he lives in Pomona, and must travel all the way to town for any water or sewer emergency.

 

Paramedic Coordinator Greg Christmas received the Public Safety Award, given to a Sierra Madre employee or citizen who has taken lifesaving action to protect and maintain the safety of the Community.  Christmas was hired to develop Sierra Madre’s new paramedic program at its inception in 2007, and has since also joined the Volunteer Fire Dept., where he was instrumental in the development of the first 18-week Volunteer Fire Academy, which has already benefited the City with the certification of sixteen new members of the Department as Shift Fire Fighters.  He also created the City’s Fire Explorer Program, which provides training for 15 - 17 year olds.

 

Captain Larry Giannone received the Police Chief’s special award, with SM Police Chief Marilyn Diaz stating that “I have never worked with a professional colleague who has demonstrated such integrity and extraordinary commitment to the policing profession.  His competence, commitment and compassion are unparalleled.”  Giannone, a 26-year law enforcement veteran, has worked for SMPD since 2006, and is responsible for updating, repairing and programming all 30 police radios, computers in the police vehicles, and the car radio equipment.  He specializes in arson investigation, and is credited with creating a positive, energetic work environment through his leadership.  In that work environment, the City has seen a 20% drop in crime and a 59% increase in arrests from 2007 to 2008.

 

Dr. Paul Neiby received the George Maurer Lifetime Service Award as an acknowledgement of significant contributions to the Community over many years.  Neiby is a past-president and current member of Sierra Madre Kiwanis, a member of the City’s Senior Community Commission, sits on the Board of Directors of the Sierra Madre Historical Preservation Society, contributed to the Senior Master plan, and is also a past Sierra Madre Public Library Trustee.  In addition, he has been instrumental in the development of the soon-to-be published Sierra Madre History Book, and has been vital to the success of the City’s Oral History Project.  Neiby is currently recovering from two strokes he has suffered this year, and was unable to attend.  Fellow Kiwanian and Award namesake George Maurer accepted the award on his behalf.

 

Also recognized at the event were the City Commissioners, members of the Community Arts Commission, the Community Services Commission, the Library Board of Trustees, the Planning Commission, the Senior Community Commission and the Tree Advisory Commission.  Plaques were presented to outgoing Commissioners Tom Janzen and Ilona Volkmann of the Community Services Commission and Marianne Siberell of the Library Board of Trustees.

 

A buffet dinner of chicken and ham was provided by Sierra Madre Catering Company.

 

Photos - click to enlarge

 

Chamber Board Member Karen Keegan, Library Board of Trustees Chair Patricia Hall, City Manager Elaine Aguilar, City Council Member Maryann MacGillivray

Winner of the Police Chief's Special Award Captain Larry Giannone

Rotarian Rudy Hayek

Rotarian and City Council Member Joe Mosca with fellow Rotarians Susanne Hayek and Rudy Hayek

Mayor Kurt Zimmerman greets attendees

Police Chaplain and Rotarian Wayne Walters gave the invocation

Ditto

City employees Laura Aguilar, Susan Clifton and Rosemary Garcia

Arts Commission Chair Erica Blodgett

 

Voice of Trojan football Dennis Packer was the emcee

Kris Poulsen accepted the Wistaria Award on behalf of Rotary Club

Jun Redil of the Water Dept. won the Employee of the Year award

Paramedic coordinator Greg Christmas received the Public Safety award

Packer introduces Police Chief Marilyn Diaz...

Captain Larry Giannone (seated) listens as Packer tells people why he won the Police Chief's Special Award

Giannone gets a more personal award from the Chief

George Maurer accepted the George Maurer Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of winner Paul Neiby

Zimmerman shakes hands with outgoing commissioner Tom Janzen as Patricia Hall and Jim Liston, who accepted plaques for Marianne Siberell and Ilona Volkmann, respectively, look on

Janzen checks out the plaque as Liston follows him back to their seats

Copyright © 1998 - 2011 by The Coburn Group, Sierra Madre. All logos, trademarks or product names mentioned or displayed herein are the property of their respective owners. All photographs and videos on this site Copyright 1998 - 2011, by Bill Coburn, Sierra Madre, CA unless otherwise noted Any reference to the City of Sierra Madre or Sierra Madre applies to the community of Sierra Madre and not the city government. The City of Sierra Madre, California government is not affiliated with Sierra Madre News.Net at this time. Any city government information provided herein has been previously published for public dissemination and is shown here as a public service of Sierra Madre News.Net without explicit permission of the government of the City of Sierra Madre.