Tuesday April 23 2013
Posted 4/23/13 – After a lengthy discussion about the contents of a Request for Proposal to be issued for a Water Rate Study the City will be conducting, and a shorter discussion about the Council’s Strategic Plan, and presentations to outgoing Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Walsh and Mayor Josh Moran, complete with a brief goodbye [...]
Saturday April 20 2013
Press Release posted 4/20/13 – Sacramento – The Assembly Agriculture Committee today heard testimony on Assemblymember Chris Holden’s legislation to ensure that California fruit, nuts, livestock and vegetables are given priority when it comes to state purchasing. Under Holden’s AB 199 Choose California Act, state agencies would be required to give California agriculture producers priority [...]
Saturday April 20 2013
Press Release posted 4/20/13 - Sacramento – The Senate Health Committee took action today to approve legislation authored by Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) that will better protect children and adults who suffer from serious and potentially life-threatening allergies. SB 669 enables California to join a growing group of states that provide training in [...]
Saturday April 20 2013
Press Release posted 4/20/13 – Sacramento – The Senate Education Committee took action today to defeat reforms intended to help California students by voting against measures authored by Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar). With the actions of the Senate Education Committee, students have been denied the right to public school choice regardless of [...]
Saturday April 20 2013
Press Release posted 4/20/13 - Earth Day is Monday, April 22nd. The Sierra Madre Green Advisory Committee would like you to know of a few events that will be happening in and around Sierra Madre for those who would like to observe and benefit from this year’s event. Sierra Madre Environmental Action Council (SMEAC) Bailey Canyon [...]
Monday April 01 2013
Posted 4/1/13 - As I wrote yesterday, I arrived home from Easter dinner at my sister’s to discover 3 different voice mails regarding a rumor that there was a special meeting of City Council held yesterday, Easter Sunday. At that point, I was able to confirm that it took place, but had no further information as [...]
Sunday March 31 2013
Posted 3/31/13 – I arrived home from Easter dinner at my sister’s to discover 3 different voice mails regarding a rumor that there was a special meeting of City Council held today, Easter Sunday. At this point, I’ve been able to confirm that it took place, but have no further information as to what the [...]
Sunday March 24 2013
Press Release posted 3/24/13 – “The FAA’s politically motivated decision to shutter Los Angeles County’s Fox and Whiteman Airfields endangers public safety and has virtually no impact on federal spending,” said Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich on the Federal Aviation Administration’s announcement that it will close contract air-traffic control towers beginning April 7 because of the [...]
Thursday March 07 2013
Press Release posted 3/7/13 – The first community study session on Saturday, March 9, 2013 at 10:00 am in the Sierra Madre Room at the Community Recreation Center, 611 E. Sierra Madre, will be a discussion of our water rates, and the upcoming water rate study that the City Council will be commissioning. For this [...]
Tuesday March 05 2013
Press Release posted 3/5/13 – Medical emergencies are almost always stressful for the patient and everyone in the patient’s household. The time to assemble important medical information is before the medical emergency occurs rather than during the actual medical crisis. Medical information assembled in a period of calm is likely to be more accurate and [...]
Friday February 22 2013
Posted 2/22/13 – The City hosted its 3rd Annual State of the City event on Tuesday in the Sierra Madre Room at the Rec Center. Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Walsh emceed the evening, introducing 3rd graders from Sierra Madre School who performed several songs from their recent spotlight assembly led by former principal Gayle Bluemel [...]
Thursday January 24 2013
Press Release posted 1/24/13 – The 600 block of East Grand View is scheduled for a complete street closure between February 21st and 28th, with around-the-clock construction activity as the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) constructs of a point of connection to the 9 ½ foot MWD Upper Feeder water pipeline that traverses Sierra Madre along Grand [...]
Sunday January 13 2013
Press Release posted 1/13/13 - On Tuesday, February 19, 2013 from 6:30 – 7:30 pm the City of Sierra Madre will host its 3rd Annual State of the City Address at the Community Recreation Center in the Sierra Madre Room at 611 East Sierra Madre Boulevard. This year’s theme is “Finding the Right Balance” and this [...]
Sunday January 13 2013
Posted 1/13/13 - Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) issued the following statement in response to the Governor’s proposed budget plan for the State of California: “New funding to our classrooms is a positive step forward for California. However, the Governor’s budget only seems to include $2.7 billion in new funding for K-12 schools and community [...]
Monday November 19 2012
Press Release posted 11/19/12 - The City of Sierra Madre Public Works Department responded to a major water main failure on Sunday, November 18 at approximately 10:30 AM. Repairs to the damaged main were completed and water service restored to affected customers by 7:15 PM. This is the second failure of this 90 year-old main in [...]
Friday November 16 2012
Press Release posted 11/16/12 - The Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA has rescheduled the low cost vaccination clinic for December 6, 2012. The clinic will be held at Memorial Park, 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 from 6:30pm to 8pm. All dogs must be on a leash and cats must be in a carrier. For [...]
Thursday November 15 2012
Press Release posted 11/15/12 - Effective November 19, 2012, the Pasadena Social Security office will be open to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. – a reduction of 30 minutes each weekday. In addition, beginning January 2, 2013, the office will close to the public at noon every Wednesday. While agency [...]
Wednesday November 14 2012
Posted 11/14/12 – Recently, we reported that the cell tower being co-located at the Methodist Church by AT&T to improve cell reception on the west end of town had not passed its final inspection in mid-October. Since then, there has been a clarification. Apparently, there are two final inspections, one for conformance with plan check, [...]
Wednesday November 14 2012
Press Release posted 11/14/12 – The City of Sierra Madre City Hall, Public Library, and Community Services Offices will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday from Thursday, November 22 through Sunday, November 25, 2012. Water customers can pay their bill online, recreation enthusiast can register for program and events online and Library patrons will still [...]
Wednesday November 07 2012
Posted 11/7/12 – Measure ALF passed easily in yesterday’s election, with 77% of Sierra Madreans that voted approving a change to Measure V that exempted the two parcels on which the Kensington Assisted Living Facility from the density requirement of 13 units per acre. The project will still conform to the limitations of a maximum [...]
Tuesday November 06 2012
Posted 11/6/12 – Final updated 12:35am, 11/7/12. Will update in the morning. From LA County Registrar’s website, these are the results for LA County. Refresh to get the latest update. MEASURE ALF 6 of 10 precincts reporting Votes Percent ALF – DEVELOP ASSTD LIVING FACL – YES 2,402 79 NO 645 21 Candidate [...]
Tuesday November 06 2012
Posted 11/6/12 As of 9:32 pm, 0 precincts reporting (presumably this is the vote by mail results) Yes on Alf 905 82% No on Alf 199 18%
Thursday October 25 2012
Posted 10/25/12 – Update – The final inspection by the City’s engineer of the Methodist Church tower took place last week, and it did not pass. AT&T must now make corrections to allow it to pass, and call for re-inspection. As of yesterday, 10/24, they had not yet called for the re-inspection. The lease with [...]
Tuesday October 16 2012
Press Release posted 10/16/12 - Sierra Madre is initiating a Second Unit Amnesty Program for a six month period, from October 15, 2012 to April 15, 2013. The City recognizes there are a number of second units in the community built without permits; these can be counted towards meeting the State-mandated regional housing needs allocation (the [...]
Tuesday October 16 2012
Press Release posted 10/16/12 - It’s not too late. It’s easy. People can now register to vote online. The deadline to vote in the November election is midnight, Oct. 22. People need to re-register when they move, change their name or change political parties. Eligible voters can register whenever and wherever convenient for them, thanks to [...]
Wednesday October 10 2012
Posted 10/10/12 – Nearly twenty-six months after AT&T Director of External Affairs Richard Roche appeared before the Sierra Madre City Council to discuss the addition of two new cell towers for Sierra Madre, one in the east, one in the west, in July of 2010, the City Council approved the lease agreement language for the AT&T [...]
Wednesday October 10 2012
Press Release posted 10/10/12 - Athens Services and the City of Sierra Madre host the first annual Compost Giveaway event on Saturday, October 13, 2012. The event is from 9:00am-12:00pm at Sierra Vista Park, located at 611 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. All Sierra Madre residents are eligible to participate and no advanced reservation is necessary. Be [...]
Thursday October 04 2012
Posted 10/4/12 – Radio Fishbowl is getting involved in the upcoming election, with shows designed to help educate folks about candidates and Measure ALF, the initiative that will decide if the Kensington Assisted Living Facility can be built downtown. On next Tuesday’s “Canterbury Tales” at noon, host Carol Canterbury has invited Billy Shields of the [...]
Saturday September 29 2012
Posted 8/10/12, updated and reposted 9/29/12 – With temperatures expected to be in the triple digits beginning tomorrow, Sunday, and remaining there for several days, the City of Sierra Madre offers the following tips on beating the heat: Tips for Staying Cool With triple-digit temperatures registering across Southern California this week, the County of Los [...]
Thursday September 13 2012
Press Release posted 9/13/12 – Voters who want to be in the know about the eleven propositions on the November ballot can expect lively discussion and even debate at a free public forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters Pasadena Area. Titled “Are You in the Know?” it will be held Oct. 6, 9:30 [...]
Friday September 07 2012
Posted 9/7/12 – In a letter to constituents today titled “Call to Arms: It is Up to Us Now”, Assemblyman Tim Donnelly had this to say regarding the final week of the legislative session: In the last 5 days of session the Legislature passed over 550 new laws, none of which we need. It is amazing [...]
Friday August 31 2012
Press Release posted 8/31/12 - All Structural Work Complete for the I-210 Gold Line Bridge After more than one year of intense activity, the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority (Construction Authority) announced today that all structural work has been completed on the I-210 Gold Line Bridge. This announcement follows the recent completion of post-tensioning [...]
Wednesday August 29 2012
Press Release posted 8/29/12 - SACRAMENTO: Two measures authored by Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) have received the approval and signature of the Governor after receiving support from both Democrats and Republicans during the legislative process. Both SB 1364 and SB 1137 address key consumer protection issues. “My thanks to the Governor for his [...]
Tuesday August 28 2012
Press Release posted 8/28/12 - SACRAMENTO: Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) and Senator Mimi Walters (R-Irvine) issuedthe following statements in response to reports of a pension reform arrangement reached by legislative Democrats and the Governor: “Earlier this year, Governor Brown called the 12-point Public Pension Reform Plan he introduced ‘the minimum,’” said Senator Huff. [...]
Tuesday August 28 2012
Press Release posted 8/28/12 – The following is a statement from Assemblymember Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge): “Today’s action underscores the tremendous growing wind against the 710 freeway and tunnel. Neighborhood activists from all over the San Gabriel Valley have united to oppose this project. There have been more than enough legitimate public policy concerns [...]
Tuesday August 28 2012
Op-Ed posted 8/28/12 – Earlier today (Monday, 8/27/12) Governor Brown signed AB1600 into law, amending the Construction Authority’s enabling legislation to extend the Foothill Extension project boundaries to Montclair in San Bernardino County. The changes also make Montclair an “Extension city” and the San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) a non-voting member of the Authority board [...]
Friday August 24 2012
Press Release posted 8/24/12 - Assemblymember Anthony Portantino’s (D-La Cañada Flintridge) proposal to update and modernize financial reporting for politicians and public officials passed the Senate today. AB 2162 now goes to the Governor for signature. Each year, politicians and public officials must file what is known as a Form 700 – Statement of Economic Interest. [...]
Thursday August 23 2012
8/22/12 Press release posted 8/23/12 Community members and interested stakeholders have 45 days to submit comments in writing and/or attend an upcoming public meeting to comment in person Yesterday, the Construction Authority released the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Foothill Extension from Azusa to Montclair. This important environmental review evaluates the impacts [...]
Thursday August 23 2012
Posted 8/23/12 – The Sierra Madre Chamber of Commerce has announced that it will hold a breakfast meeting featuring State Senator Carol Liu on Monday, September 10th from 8am to 9am at the Hart House Senior Center in Memorial Park. Sen. Liu is currently representing the 21st District, which does not include Sierra Madre, however, [...]
Thursday August 16 2012
Press Release posted 8/16/12 - Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich released the following statement today: “On the eve of the third anniversary of the Station Fire, which killed two Los Angeles County firefighters and burned 160,000 acres, the U.S. Forest Service has finally allowed nighttime aerial attacks. We are pleased that the Forest Service has responded favorably [...]
Thursday August 16 2012
Press Release posted 8/16/12 - Vector Control officials warn that ongoing high temperatures and excessive humidity are ideal conditions for both rapid mosquito reproduction and the diseases they can transmit. Los Angeles County is home to nearly 15 different mosquito species capable of transmitting many pathogens including West Nile (WNV), St. Louis encephalitis (SLE), western equine [...]
Friday August 10 2012
Press Release posted 8/10/12 – In his August 4th newsletter, Assemblyman Tim Donnelly had this to say about the recent news that the State Parks Dept. had under reported $54 million in funds: After learning that the State Parks Department had underreported what turned out to be $54 million of special fund money, I was [...]
Friday August 10 2012
Press Release posted 8/10/12 - Sacramento – Returning from summer recess, the State Senate Appropriations Committee today approved five bills authored by Assemblymember Anthony Portantino. The measures range from increasing early detection of breast cancer to open government legislation. The bills now go to the Senate floor before heading to the Governor’s desk for signature [...]
Friday August 10 2012
Press Release posted 8/10/12 - A motion supporting federal legislation to repeal the medal tax on American Olympic athletes was introduced by LA County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. “After years of sacrifice and personal expense to represent our nation at the Olympic Games, forcing a tax on winning medals is a punitive action,” said Antonovich. “Olympic [...]
Friday August 10 2012
Press Release posted 8/10/12 - SACRAMENTO: Two measures authored by Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) passed a final committee test in the Assembly Appropriations Committee today and have been sent to the Assembly Floor for a final vote. SB 1137 and SB 1364 received support from both Democrats and Republicans during today’s hearing. “I’d [...]
Friday August 10 2012
Posted 8/10/12 – The Sierra Madre City Council will hold a special breakfast meeting at The Only Place in Town, 110 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., at 8am on Wednesday, August 15, 2012. Discussion items on the agenda include the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA), Measure R funds and the Gold Line extension, the Santa Anita [...]
Monday August 06 2012
Congressman David Dreier (R-San Dimas) issued the following statement this morning applauding the La Cañada Flintridge-based Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on the successful landing of the NASA rover Curiosity on Mars’ surface. “I am tremendously proud of JPL, its talented and dedicated staff, and their incredible achievement in today’s landing of the Curiosity,” Dreier said. [...]
Wednesday August 01 2012
Posted 8/1/12 – According to City Staff, on July 18, 2012, a letter was received from Fresh and Easy withdrawing their request for review of a proposed project at the corner of Baldwin Ave. and Sierra Madre Blvd. The letter stated that they were reviewing all of their projects, and had decided at this time [...]
Wednesday July 25 2012
Press Release posted 7/25/12 – Following Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Council Member Chris Koerber issued the following statement: After an exhaustive review of the Kensington proposal – nine Planning Commission meetings and three City Council meetings – I am pleased that the city is moving forward with the November vote to approve what will undoubtedly [...]
Sunday July 22 2012
Posted 7/22/12 – Here is the Revised Agenda for Tuesday night’s Council meeting. There will be lots of discussion about lawsuits in a closed session prior to the meeting, most (if not all of them) involving former members of the SMPD, or the SM Police Officers’ Association. There will be a presentation by SMRFA President Robert [...]
Saturday July 14 2012
Press Release posted 7/14/12 - LOS ANGELES COUNTY – “It has been nearly three years since the Station Fire devastated most of the Angeles National Forest and killed two Los Angeles County firefighters, and the U. S. Forest Service continues to ignore experts’ recommendations to change its nighttime aerial firefighting policy,” said Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. “It [...]
Saturday July 14 2012
Press Release posted 7/14/12 – The Community Services Department and the Senior Community Commission would like to remind local seniors that during this time of hot weather that they should follow these tips to stay cool and safe. Slow down, avoid strenuous activity. Do not try to do too much on a hot day. Wear [...]
Saturday July 14 2012
Press Release posted 7/14/12 - SACRAMENTO: Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) says he’s deeply troubled by new and unexpected developments that are now emerging from one of the 11th-hour state budget “trailer” bills passed by the Democrat-dominated California Legislature, and signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. One of the trailer bills in question, [...]
Tuesday July 10 2012
Posted 7/10/12 – The City Council approved the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the proposed Kensington Assisted Living Facility project unanimously this evening. They also instructed the City Attorney to draft simple language for an amendment to Measure V that would exempt the two project parcels from the density aspects of Measure V. The discussion of [...]
Thursday June 28 2012
Press Release posted 6/28/12 – Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) issued the following statement today in response to the passage of the Democrat majority vote budget: “It’s disappointing that the majority party squandered its opportunity to provide a balanced, honest and transparent budget that Californians could be proud of. There is no doubt [...]
Thursday June 28 2012
Press Release posted 6/28/12 – Assemblyman Tim Donnelly today released the following statements in response to the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision to uphold the major provisions of the controversial “Obamacare” mandate. The decision will allow the federal government to require individuals to purchase health insurance and levy a tax on those who choose not to [...]
Thursday June 28 2012
Press Release posted 6/28/12 – Congressman David Dreier (R-CA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee issued the following statement today regarding the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the healthcare law: “Today’s ruling makes clear what many of us have said all along – the flawed healthcare law represents one of the largest tax increases in American [...]
Thursday June 28 2012
Press Release posted 6/28/12 - On Friday June 1, 2007, the Sierra Madre Fire Department, and the sitting City Council, introduced Paramedic services to the residents, business owners, and visitors of our community. This significant achievement by our City made the entire County of Los Angeles fully covered by Paramedic services. The Sierra Madre Fire Department [...]
Thursday June 28 2012
Posted 6/28/12 – In a newsletter to constituents Tuesday, Assemblyman Tim Donnelly had the following to say: Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, yesterday, released the following statement in response to the U. S. Supreme Court decision which struck down a number of provisions, but upheld one key provision of SB 1070, “The Arizona Law.” This decision will [...]
Tuesday June 26 2012
Posted 6/26/12 – The City Council will open a Public Hearing on the proposed Specific Plan for the Kensington Project this evening, as well as a proposed Text Amendment to the code to create an Overlay Zone at the former Skilled Nursing Facility site. A second Public Hearing will be opened at the next Council [...]
Thursday June 21 2012
Press Release posted 6/21/12 - At the June 12, 2012 City Council meeting, the Sierra Madre City Council unanimously approved a contract expanding the services the Pasadena Humane Society provides for the residents in Sierra Madre. Under the new contract, the Pasadena Humane Society will take over the dog licensing program in addition to the existing [...]
Thursday June 14 2012
Posted 6/14/12 – Danny Castro, Director of Development Services, confirmed for me today that the Kensington Assisted Living Project is one of the items on the City Council agenda at its June 26th meeting. He also clarified that the Council must review the Specific Plan and the Text Amendment of the Municipal Code for the [...]
Tuesday June 12 2012
Posted 6/12/12 – The Planning Commission voted at a special meeting last night to recommend to the City Council that they approve the construction of the Kensington Assisted Living Facility, pending voter approval in the November election. There were three items voted on, a Specific Plan for the project, a Text Amendment to the Municipal [...]
Friday June 08 2012
Posted 6/8/12 – The Planning Commission agreed last night to hold a special meeting on Monday, June 11th to consider the Kensington Assisted Living Facility project. Developer Fountain Square Development West had expressed concerns that failure to move the project forward would not allow the City Council to adequately review the project and determine the [...]
Wednesday June 06 2012
Posted 6/5/12 -The Planning Commission will hear from Fountain Square Development West (FSDW), the developer of the proposed Kensington Assisted Living Facility, at its Thursday, June 7th meeting, and according to documents on the City’s website, it will most likely be the last time the Commission considers the project prior to the City Council consideration [...]
Wednesday June 06 2012
Posted 6/6/12 – Measure A, which changes the method by which PUSD Board members are voted into office from an at-large election to a geographical sub-district election, passed in yesterday’s election by a vote of 12,597 to 10,387 (54.8% to 45.2%). Chris Holden led the field in the 41st State Assembly District race, with 15, 421 [...]
Tuesday June 05 2012
It has been more than an hour since there has been an update on Measure A, which is the main election we are tracking at this point. We’re going to bed, we will update in the morning. 27th Congressional District Update, 6/6/12, 12:05am - LA County Registrar’s office reporting that with 54.1% of precincts reporting, Judy Chu [...]
Tuesday June 05 2012
Posted 6/5/12 – To look up your sample ballot and/or find your polling place, click here.
Thursday May 31 2012
Posted 5/31/12 – Assemblymember Anthony Portantino’s bill requiring lawmakers who have legislative vanity plates on their personal cars to pay the same fees paid by the general public, has been overwhelmingly approved by the state Assembly. AB 2068 passed the Assembly today on a vote of 63 to 0. “I am very pleased that the [...]
Thursday May 31 2012
Press Release posted 5/31/12 – Assemblymember Anthony Portantino’s bill to improve emergency and disaster preparedness in California was overwhelmingly approved today in the State Assembly. AB 1650 (requires) public utilities to hold comprehensive disaster preparedness meetings every two years with the counties and cities they service in order to improve readiness and better prepare for natural [...]
Thursday May 31 2012
Posted 5/31/12 – The CRA Dissolution Oversight Committee will meet at City Hall tonight at 7pm. On the OVERSIGHT BOARD AGENDA 05-31-2012 are naming a Chair and Vice-Chair, and approving the CRA Successor Agency’s Recognized Obligation Payment Schedules for Feb. 1 to June 30th, and July 1 to December 31. The CRA Dissolution Oversight Committee [...]
Tuesday May 22 2012
Posted 5/22/12 – Gene Goss, who came seemingly out of nowhere to nearly find himself on the City Council in the April election, will begin hosting a political talk show on RadioFishbowl.com beginning Thursday night at 7pm. The show, “Village Intersections with Gene Goss”, will air weekly, with a rebroadcast on Saturdays. To find the [...]
Friday May 18 2012
Posted 5/18/12 – (Editor’s Note: There was so much that happened during this nearly 4 hour meeting that it has taken me longer than it should have to write anything about this meeting. I still haven’t written all I’m going to about the meeting, but I’ve written enough to give something of an update about [...]
Thursday May 17 2012
Posted 5/17/12 – The General Plan Steering Committee (GPSC) will hold a special meeting on Sunday, June 3, 2012, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., in the City Council Chambers, 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. At this special meeting, the GPSC will discuss and review a number of draft written language items for the new [...]
Sunday May 06 2012
Press Release posted 5/6/12 – Starting Monday, May 7, 2012 the Community Services Department will follow the same hours of operation schedule as City Hall. The Community Services Office located at 611 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024 will be open on: Monday through Thursday from 7:30am-5:30pm and alternating Fridays from 8:00am-5:00pm. For [...]
Sunday May 06 2012
Press Release Posted 5/6/12 – Sierra Madre’s Community Radio station is seeking volunteers to record public service announcements (PSAs) for broadcast. The station broadcasts 24/7 at 1630 on the AM dial, and provides residents with timely information about community events. The PSAs are recorded at City Hall by volunteer announcers. The process is quick and [...]
Tuesday May 01 2012
Posted 5/1/12 – I was asked to post this letter “word for word.” I have left the letter as it was received, with the exception of some formatting of the addressees, and removing the contact information of the recipients and the sender, and removal of the non-City (media) recipients. April 25th, 2012 Honorable City Council Members John P. [...]
Saturday April 28 2012
Mayor Pro Tem Moran presents departing Mayor Buchanan with proclamation from the City Posted 4/27/12 – John Buchanan began by thanking the residents of Sierra Madre, both those who supported him, and “your loyal opposition, governance requires both.” He thanked colleagues with whom he’d served on the council, as well as staff, department heads and [...]
Saturday April 28 2012
Pat Alcorn and friends presented MaryAnn MacGillivray with a stock certificate for a defunct Sierra Madre Development company as a parting gift Posted 4/28/12 – At Tuesday’s City Council reorganization meeting, MaryAnn MacGillivray, who was defeated in the April 10th election after serving three split terms on the Council, was recognized by Council and residents, [...]
Saturday April 28 2012
Mayor Buchanan presents commendation to retiring City Treasurer George Enyedi Posted 4/28/12 – The reorganization of the City Council began with a tribute to outgoing City Treasurer George Enyedi, who served as the elected treasurer from 2008 – 2012. George has also volunteered his time for many years to assist with City finances prior to [...]
Thursday April 26 2012
Press Release posted 4/26/12 – Approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors, a motion by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich directed the Department of Public Health to work with Federal and State agencies to address seafood mislabeling in Los Angeles County. “Consumers must have confidence that the fish they are buying at restaurants and grocery stores [...]
Thursday April 26 2012
Press Release posted 4/26/12 – The Assembly Public Safety Committee has approved Assemblymember Anthony Portantino’s bill, AB 1682, which was introduced to ensure that rapists are brought to justice by extending the period of time that law enforcement has to analyze rape kits from two to five years. The bill was unanimously approved Tuesday on [...]
Wednesday April 25 2012
Posted 4/24/12 - John Capoccia was sworn into City Council at tonight’s reorganization meeting. After all new Council members were sworn in and seated, Mayor Pro Tem Josh Moran invited each of them to say a few words before accepting nominations for the new Mayor. Here’s video of John being sworn in, and his first few [...]
Wednesday April 25 2012
Posted 4/24/12 - John Harabedian was sworn into City Council at tonight’s reorganization meeting. After all new Council members were sworn in and seated, Mayor Pro Tem Josh Moran invited each of them to say a few words before accepting nominations for the new Mayor. Here’s video of John being sworn in, and his first few [...]
Tuesday April 24 2012
Posted 4/24/12 – Chris Koerber was sworn into City Council at tonight’s reorganization meeting. After all new Council members were sworn in and seated, Mayor Pro Tem Josh Moran invited each of them to say a few words before accepting nominations for the new Mayor. Here’s video of Chris being sworn in, and his first [...]
Tuesday April 24 2012
Posted 4/24/12 – Mayor John Buchanan and Council member MaryAnn MacGillivray left the City Council Tuesday evening, and Chris Koerber, John Harabedian and John Capoccia joined it. The new Council then voted unanimously to seat Josh Moran as Mayor and Nancy Walsh as Mayor Pro Tem. They then also voted unanimously to contract pool services [...]
Tuesday April 24 2012
Posted 4/24/12 – From the City’s Facebook page: The City Council will convene this evening at 6:30 in City Hall Council Chambers. Outgoing Mayor Buchanan, Council Member MaryAnn MacGillivray, and City Treasurer George Enyedi will be recognized for their service to the City of Sierra Madre. Newly Elected Council Members John Capoccia, John Harabedian, and [...]
Tuesday April 24 2012
Press Release posted 4/24/12 – Practically everyone has an opinion about Obama’s health care, but few understand it, according to the latest Associated Press poll. The future of the president’s Affordable Care Act lies in the hands of the Supreme Court, which is expected to make a decision on the Act’s constitutionality in June. Meanwhile [...]
Thursday April 12 2012
Posted 4/12/12 – The City has posted help wanted ads on its website, its Facebook page, Linked In, and other targeted municipal job recruitment locations, one for an electronic resources analyst, one for an accounting manager, and one for a code enforcement officer. The solicitation for the position of Electronic Resources Analyst, which closes 5/16/12, [...]
Wednesday April 11 2012
Posted 4/11/12 – New Council member John Capoccia, elected to one of two 4-year seats in the regular election last night, has issued the following statement to the News Net following last night’s election: “First, my congratulations to Chris Koerber and John Harabedian for their victories. I’m honored to serve along side them as we [...]
Tuesday April 10 2012
Congratulations to Chris Koerber, who beat Colin Braudrick 1403 to 1199 in the special election for Joe Mosca’s vacated remaining two years on the Council, and to John Harabedian and John Capoccia, who were the top two vote getters in the Regular Election for two 4-year seats on the Council, with 1364 and 1327 votes, [...]
Sunday April 08 2012
Posted 4/8/12 – There are three polling locations for the April 2012 election. Click on the map below to see a larger version to determine where you vote tomorrow. You may need to click on the image again once it loads to see it full size, depending on your browser. The following locations will be [...]
Friday April 06 2012
If you visit MaryAnn MacGillivray’s campaign website, you will find a list of what she describes as UUT facts. Some of the things she said didn’t jibe with my understanding of the current and proposed UUTs, so I looked into it a little deeper. I think MaryAnn (or whoever prepared the Facts list) may have [...]
Wednesday April 04 2012
Posted 4/4/12 This editorial is the opinion of Bill Coburn, publisher of Sierra Madre News Net and 17-year Sierra Madre resident. It is not intended to reflect the views of any other person or entity with whom I am associated. I’ve had several people ask me if I was going to write anything about Chris [...]
Wednesday April 04 2012
Posted 4/4/12 – Mike and Susan Gallagher will be hosting a reception for City Council candidates John Harabedian, Colin Braudrick, and Gene Goss on Saturday, April 7, at 5:00 p.m. Their home is located at 685 N. Auburn Ave. All are welcome. If you are still undecided as to how to vote on Tuesday, April [...]
Monday April 02 2012
Posted 4/2/12 – I went to a candidate coffee yesterday on Monterey Lane, for Colin Braudrick, candidate for the 2-year seat in the special election, and Gene Goss and John Harabedian, candidates in the 4-year regular election (2 seats open). These are the three candidates that have been endorsed by SierraMadreNews.Net. Towards the end of [...]
Monday April 02 2012
Originally posted 3/11/12, re-posted 4/2/11 – This editorial is the opinion of Bill Coburn, publisher of Sierra Madre News Net and 17 year Sierra Madre resident. It is not intended to reflect the views of any other person or entity with whom I am associated. Click here for the City page with links to the [...]
Saturday March 31 2012
Press Release posted 3/31/12 – Congressman David Dreier (R-CA) has announced that completed applications for the annual Youth Volunteer Award (YVA) are due Monday, April 2, 2012 by 5 p.m. Dreier has held this annual event to honor the contributions young people have made to the community through volunteer work. The award is open to [...]
Thursday March 29 2012
Posted 3/29/12 – Beginning April 1, 2012, overnight parking permits will be available for purchase online. Overnight parking permits can be purchased online through the city’s website at: www.cityofsierramadre.com Parking permits are required to park vehicles on city streets between 2:00AM and 5:00AM. Annual and temporary permits will be available online. The cost for an [...]
Friday March 16 2012
Posted 3/16/12 – The Sierra Madre Woman’s Club hosted the annual March Mixer of the Sierra Madre Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, the 14th. Six of the candidates were on hand to meet and greet and mingle with the crowd of a few dozen people, and each gave a brief introductory speech. In addition to [...]
Friday March 16 2012
Posted 3/16/12 – On Wednesday night at City Hall, the Chamber of Commerce hosted a City Council candidate forum moderated by the League of Women Voters, Pasadena Area. Six of the seven candidates in the April 10th election were on hand. Below you can view the video of the entire forum.
Wednesday March 14 2012
Posted 3/14/12 – City Council directed staff at Tuesday’s Council meeting to submit a Revision request to the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), appealing the Regional Housing Needs Assessment of 55 housing units to Sierra Madre for the 2013 – 2021 Housing Element Cycle. The allocation requires the City to increase the number of [...]
Wednesday March 14 2012
Posted 3/14/12 – One of the City Council’s stated objectives is to “Attract, Develop and Retain Quality Staff to Improve and Enhance Quality Services.” An employee salary and benefit comparison received and filed by the Council showed just how difficult a task that is. According to the report, employee salaries are 26% below market, which [...]
Wednesday March 14 2012
Posted 3/14/12 – After hearing numerous impassioned pleas by City staff, including at least two that would find themselves out of work, and from resident proponents of the library and the Community Services Dept., the City Council decided to place on hold consideration of a proposed reorganization of the City Departments that would ultimately have [...]
Wednesday March 14 2012
Posted 3/14/12 – It is clear after Tuesday night’s City Council meeting that the proposed Assisted Living Facility (ALF) known as the Kensington Project will not be built without a vote of the residents of Sierra Madre. What is not clear, is what form exactly that vote will take. Despite the belief by many that [...]
Sunday March 11 2012
Posted 3/11/12 – By Bill Coburn SierraMadreNews.Net’s “Get to Know the Candidates” page This editorial is the opinion of Bill Coburn, publisher of Sierra Madre News Net and 17 year Sierra Madre resident. It is not intended to reflect the views of any other person or entity with whom I am associated. Special Election for [...]
Sunday March 11 2012
Posted 3/11/12 – By Bill Coburn This editorial is the opinion of Bill Coburn, publisher of Sierra Madre News Net and 17 year Sierra Madre resident. It is not intended to reflect the views of any other person or entity with whom I am associated. Click here for the City page with the sample ballot [...]
Sunday March 04 2012
Posted 3/5/12 – At the State of the City address on Feb. 27th, before the Mayor got up to speak, the audience was treated to three songs by the Bethany School Choir. This video is of that part of the evening. Enjoy.
Sunday March 04 2012
Posted 3/4/12 – There will be four City Council election events in the next eleven days, looks like the election cycle is in full swing. Harry L. Embree VFW Post 3208 will host a candidate forum, open to the public, at the Senior Center from 1:30 to 3:30 on Sunday, March 11th. On Tuesday March [...]
Wednesday February 29 2012
Posted 2/29/12 – Congressman Dreier’s office released the following statement: WASHINGTON, DC – Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-CA) delivered the following statement today on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives: “Mr. Speaker, I have chosen to leave Congress at the end of this term. I take the unusual step [...]
Tuesday February 28 2012
Posted 2/28/12 – To paraphrase the old joke about fights and hockey – I went to the State of the City Speech, last night, and a UUT campaign speech broke out. After Girl Scout Troops 8471 and 13, 731 from St. Rita presented the colors, and the Bethany Lions Choir performed three songs (I have [...]
Monday February 27 2012
Posted 2/27/12 – On Sunday, March 18, 2012, the Council for Watershed Health and the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy invite you to Landscaping Lightly, a free workshop at the Los Angeles County Arboretum. Topics include native plant gardening, rainwater harvesting, backyard fruit and vegetable growing, tree selection and tree care, composting and mulching, controlling invasive [...]
Friday February 24 2012
Posted 2/24/12 – Click the link to view the entire agenda Tuesday, 2/28/2012 Council Agenda Note – the City Manager’s office communication when I received this agenda pointed out that Item 4 on the agenda, discussion about the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report had a 200 page attachment that would be available on the City website. [...]
Thursday February 23 2012
Posted 2/23/12 – On Monday, February 27, 2012 from 6:30 – 7:30 pm the City of Sierra Madre will host its 2nd Annual State of the City address at the Community Recreation Center in the Sierra Madre Room at 611 East Sierra Madre Boulevard. This year’s theme is “Preserving Our Sense of Community” and this [...]
Monday February 20 2012
Initial Post 2/2012 – Fountain Square Development West, LLC, would like to put an Assisted Living Facility at 235 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., the former site of the Sierra Madre Skilled Nursing Facility. The property sat vacant for more than five years, and FSWD initially brought the plan to the public at a March 8th [...]
Friday February 17 2012
Posted 2/17/12 Planning Commission City of Sierra Madre RE: Proposed Kensington Assisted Living Development Public comments – meeting of February 16, 2012 Dear Commissioners: Good evening. When my wife, Halcyon, and I walk the dogs in town, and also when I speak to voter groups, the response we get most often is “I support the [...]
Friday February 17 2012
Posted 2/17/12 The Senior Assisted Living Project would be a great asset to our town in many ways. First and foremost it provides a cost effective alternative for all seniors to consider. Close to downtown and public transportation as well as medical services, it is in an ideal location. Karen Keegan
Tuesday February 14 2012
Posted 2/14/12 – MaryAnn MacGillivray invites all to join her for food, drinks and conversation on Saturday, February 25th from 6:00 – 8:00 at the home of Melissa Thew, 477 N. Baldwin Ave. and Gene Goss has now announced plans for his campaign Kickoff Party, which will take place at his home at 208 Ramona [...]
Friday February 10 2012
Posted 2/10/12 – This week’s full agenda, including descriptions of items and legal notices, can be viewed by clicking here: City Council Agenda, 2/14/12. On the agenda: Payment of City Warrants in aggregate amount of $603,137.19; Sierra Madre Library warrants in the aggregate amount of $4,790.83 and Payroll Transfer in the aggregate amount of $323,852.48 [...]
Wednesday February 08 2012
Posted 2/8/12 – Fountain Square West, LLC (FSW), developer of the proposed Kensington Assisted Living project at the site of the former Skilled Nursing Facility, has sent a letter to the City Council requesting that the Council pass a resolution that: “Following completion of the review by the Planning Commission, and approval by the City [...]
Tuesday February 07 2012
Colin Braudrick has announced that his Campaign Kickoff Party for the April special Election to fill the remaining two years of Joe Mosca’s vacated City Council seat will take place at Jason and Heather Young’s house at 640 West Alegria Street from 6:30 – 8:30 on Wednesday, February 29th. (Editor’s note: you might say he’s [...]
Saturday February 04 2012
Posted 2/4/12 – The April City Council campaign is kicking into high gear tonight, with a Kickoff Party for John Harabedian, candidate for one of the two regular election (4-year) seats, at the home of Tom Brady, at 220 S. Canon, at 6:30pm. John Capoccia, also a candidate in the regular election, has announced his kickoff [...]
Tuesday January 31 2012
Updated 2/1/12 – We’ve received word that the full closure for tonight has been cancelled, but plans for tomorrow remain in effect. Posted 1/31/12 – Tonight, up to three lanes of the eastbound I-210 Freeway will be closed between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. On Wednesday, Feb. 1 and Thursday, Feb. 2, the [...]
Sunday January 22 2012
Update 1/24/12 – John Capoccia’s website is now up. We’ve added a link on his candidate page. You can find a link to his candidate page under his photo, below. Update 1/22/12 – A link to a Facebook page has been added to Gene Goss’s page. Update 1/20/12 – A page has been added for Gene [...]
Friday January 20 2012
Gene Goss Election/Seat Sought:Regular Election, one of two 4-year seats Campaign web page: www.GeneGoss.com Campaign Facebook page: www.facebook.com/GeneGoss2012 Campaign Kickoff Party: Sunday, Feb. 26th from 2 to 5pm at his home, 208 Ramona Ave.. RSVPs requested, www.GeneGoss.com Bio: I was born at St. Luke in Pasadena and lived in Altadena until age three. At that [...]
Thursday January 19 2012
Posted 1/19/12 – The League of Women Voters Pasadena Area will tackle the challenging and controversial topic of privatization at a free community forum Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, at the Neighborhood Church, 301 N. Orange Grove Blvd, Pasadena. The forum title, “Yours? Mine? Ours? Exploring Privatization” captures the ambiguity of [...]
Tuesday January 17 2012
Editorial, posted 1/17/12 - I was contacted by a reader today who asked me why it is that nominations for our April 10, 2012 election were closed today for races in which an incumbent was running and tomorrow for races in which an incumbent is not running, when the code governing the election calls for five [...]
Tuesday January 17 2012
Posted 1/17/12 – City Council incumbent MaryAnn MacGillivray filed papers today to run for City Council in April, 2012, along with Colin Braudrick and Gene Goss, and Nancy Shollenberger filed to run for City Clerk. Braudrick is running against Chris Koerber, who had filed earlier, in the special election to finish out Joe Mosca’s term (2 [...]
Saturday January 07 2012
January 6, 2012 – (Posted by News Net 1/7/12) NEWS RELEASE SIERRA MADRE CITY CLERK Nancy Sue Shollenberger, Sierra Madre City Clerk, announces today, January 6, 2012, that Arguments in Favor and Arguments Against the upcoming measures to be presented at the April 10, 2012 election must be in the City Clerk’s Office by January [...]
Saturday January 07 2012
Posted 1/7/12 – Click here for the Complete Agenda for January 10, 2012 This week’s City Council meeting will start in closed session to discuss pending litigation in the cases of Murphy vs. City of Sierra Madre and Does (Case No. GC047726) and Donald Sipple, et al vs. City of Alameda, et al. (Case No. [...]
Saturday January 07 2012
Posted 1/7/12 - State Senator Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar), recently voted to replace Bob Dutton of Rancho Cucamonga as Senate Republican Leader, issued the following statement following the Governor’s announcement to implement mid-year trigger cuts to deal with a mounting state budget deficit and seek new taxes. “I’m pleased that the Governor has spared K-12 education [...]
Saturday January 07 2012
by Habib Balian, Foothill Goldline Construction Authority Posted 1/7/12 – The new year is starting out with significant activity on all aspects of the project, beginning with Kiewit Parsons initiating alignment design and pre-construction activities which are now underway. This includes surveying, geotechnical work and utility locating activities all along the 11.5-mile corridor. Additionally, the [...]
Thursday January 05 2012
Posted 1/5/12 – Sierra Madre’s State Assembly Representative Tim Donnelly (59th District) was detained and later released after being cited for attempting to bring a loaded weapon and ammunition onto a plane at Ontario Airport, according to a report by the LA Times. According to the Times “Authorities said screeners at the security checkpoint discovered [...]
Tuesday January 03 2012
Posted 6pm, 1/3/11 Sorry for the late notice, received this at 3:56 but wasn’t home till now) - Tonight, Tuesday, Jan. 3, on-ramps at Rosemead Blvd, Michillinda Blvd, and Baldwin Ave to the eastbound I-210 Freeway will be closed at 9:00 p.m. Starting at 11:00 p.m., there will be partial lane closures of up to three [...]
Monday January 02 2012
Election/Seat Sought: Special Election, remainder of 2 years of term for seat vacated by Joe Mosca’s resignation Colin Braudrick Campaign web page: www.colin4cc.com Campaign Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Colin-Braudrick-for-City-Council/315409945157505 Campaign Kickoff Party: Wednesday, Feb. 29th, 2012 from 6:30-8:30 pm at 640 West Alegria Street Candidate Bio as provided by candidate: I grew up in Carmel, California, a town [...]
Monday January 02 2012
Chris Koerber Election/Seat Sought: Special Election, remainder of 2 years of term for seat vacated by Joe Mosca’s resignation Campaign web page: www.chrisforsierramadre.com Campaign Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ChrisForSierraMadre Bio Information as provided by Candidate: Our family, wife, Halcyon, children Dan and Katie, and I moved to Sierra Madre from Lakewood, CA in June of 1997. I was [...]
Monday January 02 2012
John Harabedian Election/Seat Sought: One of two 4-year seats Campaign web page: www.JohnHarabedian.com Campaign Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Harabedian4SierraMadre Bio information as provided by candidate: John Harabedian was born and raised in Sierra Madre. His parents John and Joanne moved to Sierra Madre over 36 years ago, and raised John and his three sisters [...]
Monday January 02 2012
Election/Seat Sought: Regular Election, one of two 4 year seats John Capoccia Campaign web page: http://www.capoccia4citycouncil.com/ Campaign Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/capoccia4citycouncil Campaign Kickoff Party: Sunday, Feb. 19th at 2 pm at the Home of Pat and Tim Karamitros, 140 E Alegria, Sierra Madre. Click to view event flyer Bio information as provided by candidate:� Here’s why I’m [...]
Monday January 02 2012
“Eagle” Bill Tice Election/Seat Sought: Unknown I will be meeting with Bill later this week to obtain bio information and updated responses to the News Net questionnaire. In the meantime, here are Bill’s responses from the 2008 campaign. Here are his responses from 2004.
Tuesday December 27 2011
Posted 12/27/11 – I received word today from John Capoccia that he has officially filed his papers to run for one of the two four year City Council seats in next April’s election. I also got an e-mail from City Clerk Nancy Shollenberger stating that Bill Tice has pulled papers for a run at City [...]
Tuesday December 27 2011
John Harabedian contacted me this morning to inform me that he has made his decision as to which City Council seat he intends to run for. On December 21, we reported that four people had pulled papers for possible City Council runs, and the papers must be returned by Jan. 17th. Those four possible candidates [...]
Monday December 26 2011
Posted 12/26/11 – On Dec. 21, we reported that four people had pulled papers for possible City Council runs. At that time, we told you that John Capoccia had told us he was running for one of the two regular (4-year) seats that are open and that Colin Braudrick has told us he intended to run for the [...]
Friday December 23 2011
The holiday season is here and residents will soon face the annual task of Christmas tree disposal. The City of Sierra Madre, in conjunction with Athens Services and the LA County Sanitation District, is pleased to announce the Christmas Tree Recycling Program as part of our green waste recovery efforts. From Monday, December 26, 2011, [...]
Friday December 23 2011
Posted 12/23/11 – Did you know that beginning January 1st, 2012, it will be illegal to use credit reports to help decide whether or not to hire most employees? That misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor could result in a fine as high as $25,000 PER INCIDENT? That there are not one, but FIVE [...]
Wednesday December 21 2011
Posted 12/21/11 – Colin Braudrick, John Capoccia, John Harabedian and Chris Koerber have pulled papers to run for City Council in the April, 2012 election, the News Net has confirmed. According to the City Clerk’s announcement regarding the election, the four now have until Jan. 17th, 2012 to file the papers if they choose to [...]
Wednesday December 21 2011
Posted 12/21/11 – At a special City Council meeting called for this evening, the City Council approved a unilateral implementation of the City’s last, best and final offer that it had presented to the Sierra Madre Police Officer’s Association (SMPOA) on Dec. 5th. The only public comment on the issue came from Chris Koerber, who [...]
Tuesday December 20 2011
Posted 12/20/11 – A special City Council meeting has been called for Wednesday night at which City staff is recommending that the Council unilaterally implement terms and conditions of employment with the SMPOA, and one of those terms requires an amendment to the percentage paid to CalPERS. According to the staff report, the POA representatives [...]
Tuesday December 20 2011
Sacramento, CA – Low-interest federal disaster loans are available to California residents and business owners affected by the Los Angeles County High Winds from November 30 through December 4, 2011, announced U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Karen G. Mills. SBA acted under its own authority to declare a disaster following a December 13 [...]
Monday December 19 2011
A special meeting of the City Council has been called for Wednesday night, Dec. 21st, at 6pm. The only action item on the agenda is titled “SIERRA MADRE POLICE OFFICERS’ ASSOCIATION TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT” and is described as “Recommendation that the City Council adopt Resolution 11-105: unilaterally implementing terms and conditions of employment [...]
Monday December 19 2011
City Clerk Nancy Shollenberger has announced the conditions for the April 12 10, 2012 election. According to the City Clerk, at that election the residents will be voting for the following (click on the image to view the actual announcement): 1). A City Council Member for a 2-year term to fill the seat vacated by Council [...]
Thursday December 15 2011
Posted 12/15/11 – Sierra Madre City Hall and Community & Personnel Services Holiday Closures Friday, December 23rd at noon Monday, December 26, 2011 Friday, December 30, 2011 Monday, January 2, 2012 Sierra Madre Library Holiday Closures The Sierra Madre Public Library will be closed for Christmas, Saturday, December 24 through Monday, December 26, and for [...]
Thursday December 15 2011
Issued 12/14/11, Posted 12/15/11 - The City of Sierra Madre would like to make residents, businesses, and visitors aware of the latest National Weather Forecast for increasing winds beginning tomorrow (Thursday) evening and continuing into Friday. Winds are forecast to reach between 15 and 25mph, with gusts up to 30mph. Residents are urged to be very [...]
Tuesday December 13 2011
The City is now in recovery mode as it works to clear all streets, identify and remove potential hazards, and inventory losses. We will continue to provide any specific and important information to our residents, businesses, and visitors as necessary. All residents are urged to report private property damage from the severe windstorm event to [...]
Tuesday December 13 2011
Posted 12/13/11 – The City of Sierra Madre would like to relay some important information from the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office that may affect residents of Sierra Madre that have suffered wind damage to their property. Los Angeles County Assessor John R. Noquez urges property owners who may have been affected by the recent high [...]
Monday December 12 2011
Originally posted 12/9/11, Updated 12/12/11 Follow-up update to story below: Assemblyman Anthony Portantino posted the following on his Facebook page Saturday, the day after we ran into him heading out to inspect wind damage in Sierra Madre…”Great News for cities in the San Gabriel Valley. The wind damage tour made a difference. One day after [...]
Monday December 12 2011
Posted on 12/13/11 – Among the items on Tuesday’s agenda, which you can download by clicking here, are: Closed Session meeting to discuss negotiations with SMPOA, introduction of 2012 SMRFA Princesses and new Librarian Carolyn Thomas, and recognition of Chief Diaz as she retires from SMPD. Also on the agenda, in the Consent Calendar, is approval [...]
Wednesday December 07 2011
Roofs Some Frequently Asked Questions About Repair of Structures Related to Windstorm Damage Q: My home has minor roof damage that needs to be repaired. Do I need a permit for this repair work? A: For minor roof repair (such as roof patching), meaning 25 percent or less of the roof needing work, a building [...]
Wednesday December 07 2011
Sierra Madre, CA. December 7, 2011 – Sierra Madre Windstorm Information – Update #12 The City is now in recovery mode as it works to clear all streets, identify and remove potential hazards, and inventory losses. This is the final anticipated update that includes general information for the upcoming recovery efforts. We will continue to [...]
Wednesday December 07 2011
Sierra Madre, CA. December 7, 2011 - 9:25 AM City Hall’s phone line of (626) 355-7135 has been damaged as a result of the windstorm and recovery. As a result, in-bound calls to City Hall are not successfully connecting nor is the voicemail system functioning. However, direct phone lines are working and calls may be [...]
Monday December 05 2011
Sierra Madre, CA. December 5, 2011 – As the City moves into a recovery mode following last week’s windstorms, we would like to provide some important information to our residents, businesses, and visitors.Southern California Edison has managed to return power to most sections of the City. Edison has indicated that they expect 99.9% of all [...]
Saturday December 03 2011
Posted on the City’s Facebook page about an hour ago (5:10pm). Sierra Madre, CA. December 3, 2011 – Sierra Madre Windstorm Information – Update #9 With the recent windstorm, the City of Sierra Madre has experienced many uprooted trees, snapped branches, and tree debris throughout the City. City crews and contractors have been working to [...]
Saturday December 03 2011
Spent much of Thursday morning walking around Sierra Madre taking pictures (sorry, North side and canyons, since I was on foot I didn’t make it your way). But I did manage to get some pretty dramatic footage of what was happening in town. Frustrated that I couldn’t put it up on the site, I did [...]
Saturday December 03 2011
If you follow us on Twitter or Like us on Facebook, you saw that even when the website was down, we were doing what we could to keep people informed. Here’s a video of the emergency City Council meeting on Thursday at noon that declared a State of Emergency (affirming action already taken at 6:30 [...]
Saturday December 03 2011
Posted 12/3/11 – Our apologies to our faithful readers for being gone during this crisis. I made the decision years ago to host locally, rather than with a corporate host. Up till now, it’s worked great. Unfortunately, when the power went down, my local host discovered his generator didn’t function, and it was too late [...]
Friday November 18 2011
Posted 11/18/11 – To view this Tuesday night’s complete agenda click on the link. 11-22-2011 City Council Agenda Here are the headlines: Tuesday night’s Council meeting will begin with a closed session at 5:30pm to discuss negotiations with the Police Officers’ Association and a Personnel Item under CA Gov’t. Code section 54957 – Public Employee Discipline/Dismissal/Release. The [...]
Wednesday November 16 2011
The General Plan Steering Committee (GPSC) will hold a special meeting this Sunday, November 20, 2011, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., in City Council Chambers, located at 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. At this special meeting, the GPSC will review their “first-pass” changes to the 1996 General Plan, discuss the format of the General [...]
Thursday November 10 2011
Posted 11/10/11 – After some kidding from Mayor pro tem Josh Moran about not mentioning his office hours in Kersting Court or contacting him at Joe Mosca at JoeMosca.com, Joe Mosca served as a City Council member for the last time (this term) at Tuesday night’s meeting. Mosca resigned because his partner has taken a [...]
Thursday November 10 2011
Posted 11/10/11 – The City of Sierra Madre invites you to a Community Input Meeting regarding a Downtown Retail Market Demand Study. The Community Input Meeting is November 15, 2011, at 6:30 p.m., in the City Council Chambers, 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. The Downtown Retail Market Demand Study is currently being drafted, and will [...]
Wednesday November 09 2011
Posted 11/9/11 – The City Council asked to have staff bring back a resolution for consideration that would place an extension of the UUT on the April 10th, 2012 ballot. The current UUT, enacted in 2008, increased the rate from a base of 6% to a maximum of 12% before sunsetting and returning to 6% [...]
Monday November 07 2011
Posted 2/7/11 – Click to view the City Council Agenda for Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011 Tuesday, 11-8-2011 Agenda
Thursday November 03 2011
Posted 11/4/11, 5:25 pm – The City of Sierra Madre has issued (at 3:26pm) a Green Flag Alert for mudslides and debris flows in the hillside communities. The National Weather Service is forecasting an 80% chance of precipitation beginning on Friday (11/4/2011). A Green Flag Alert is issued when there is an 80% chance or [...]
Thursday November 03 2011
The City of Sierra Madre’s Community Services Commission is looking for two motivated, enthusiastic, creative, and friendly volunteers to serve on the City’s SMTV3 Community Cable Television Programming Committee. The City welcomes any interested residents to apply. SMTV3 Community Cable Television Programming Committee has 2 vacancies for Community Members At Large. The SMTV3 Community Cable Television [...]
Wednesday November 02 2011
Posted 11/2/11 – The Library Board of Trustees will convene this evening for a Special Meeting in Council Chambers at 7:00. Council Chambers is located at City Hall, 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd.
Monday October 31 2011
Posted 10/31/11 - The Sierra Madre City Council is seeking interested individuals to serve on the Pasadena Unified School District Redistricting Committee, due to a vacancy created with Councilmember Mosca’s upcoming resignation. The Redistricting Committee is responsible for determining the sub-geographic regions which will make up the voting districts within the Pasadena Unified School District. The [...]
Wednesday October 26 2011
October 24, 2011 John Buchanan, Mayor CITY OF SIERRA MADRE 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. Sierra Madre, CA 91024 Re: Palm Trees – Danger from dead palm tree branches Dear Mayor Buchanan, I am writing to draw attention to something that poses a threat to the residents of Sierra Madre, as well as a liability [...]
Wednesday October 26 2011
Posted 10/25/11 – At Tuesday’s Council meeting, the Council, minus Josh Moran, while taking no formal action, agreed that the Vision and Guiding Principals as laid out for them were satisfactory fot hte General Plan Update Steering Committee to move forward. The pu rpose of a Vision and Guiding Principles Report is to develop a [...]
Wednesday October 26 2011
Posted 10/26/11 – At last night’s City Council meeting, the City Attorney spelled out the conditions under which Joe Mosca will be replaced as City Council member. Mosca’s resignation is effective Nov. 8th, and there will be no action, other than preparatory, taking place before then. The City Council has the option to appoint someone to [...]
Thursday October 20 2011
To view the City Council Agenda for Tuesday night, click on the link… 10-25-2011 Agenda. Some of the items on this weeks agenda: General Plan Update – Vision and Guiding Principles Report, consideration of extension of the UUT, awarding a contract for water main work on Mountain Trail, and replacement of Council member Mosca…
Tuesday October 18 2011
Posted 10/17/11 – The City of Sierra Madre’s Community Services Commission is looking for two motivated, enthusiastic, creative, and friendly volunteers to serve on the City’s SMTV3 Community Cable Television Programming Committee. The City welcomes any interested residents to apply. SMTV3 Community Cable Television Programming Committee – 2 Vacancies for Community Members At Large The [...]
Saturday October 15 2011
Posted 10/15/11 – In the interest of transparency, this will also be read at the Sierra Madre City Council Meeting on October 25th. Thanks, Pat Alcorn At the October 11th Sierra Madre City Council Meeting, Councilmember Walsh blasted the General Plan Update Committee, specifically Chair Denise Delmar for wanting to hold secret meetings, for wanting [...]
Tuesday October 11 2011
City Council member Joe Mosca has announced that he will resign from City Council. Mosca was elected to a second term on the Council in April of 2010, and his term ends in 2014. Mosca’s spouse, Matt Bosse, who has been the head of the 4th of July Committee the last few years, has been offered [...]
Thursday October 06 2011
Click on the link to download the agenda for Tuesday night. Agenda for City Council Meeting on 10-11-2011
Tuesday October 04 2011
Posted 10/4/11, 5:33pm – City Issues Green Flag Alert, 10/4/2011, 5:00 pm The City of Sierra Madre has issued a Green Flag Alert for mudslides and debris flows in the hillside communities. The National Weather Service is forecasting 100% chance of precipitation beginning on Wednesday (10/5/2011). A Green Flag Alert is issued when there is [...]
Tuesday October 04 2011
Posted 10/4/11 – A couple of mountain lions have been sighted on City streets in the east side of town, in the 600 block of Camillo. The sighting was at about 12:30am this morning. You can see some video here. The City has now issued the following alert: Mountain Lion Sighting Early this morning two [...]
Tuesday October 04 2011
Posted 10/4/11 – The following is the text presented by Emcee Frank Hall at the Sierra Madre Honors Dinner, held at Alverno High School on Thursday, Sept. 29th. This was the sixth annual Honors Dinner, which recognizes community volunteers and City employees. “Our first award, the Youth Service Award, recognizes residents ages 11 – [...]
Saturday September 24 2011
On July 13, 2010, AT&T Director of External Affairs Richard Roche appeared before the Sierra Madre City Council to discuss the addition of two new cell towers for Sierra Madre, one in the east, one in the west. In introducing Roche, then Mayor Mosca stated that “It’s been a notorious problem in Sierra Madre that we [...]
Tuesday September 13 2011
Earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan, hurricanes in the south and east, wildfires in California, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, flooding along the Mississippi and the eastern seaboard, earthquakes in California, New York, Virginia and the nation’s capital and tornadoes in the midwest and the south are all a reminder to us in Sierra Madre that [...]
Saturday September 10 2011
“Good morning. On Sept. 11, 2001, an attack was launched on American soil…” With these words, or similar, the Verdugo Fire Communications Center each year begins its region-wide 9/11 bulletin, remembering the horrific events of 9/11/2001, and taking a moment to honor the fallen first responders that died that morning. One year after the attacks, [...]
Wednesday September 07 2011
Posted 2/20/12 – Fountain Square West held a Town Hall Meeting at the Sierra Madre Room on September 7th, 2011. This photo gallery shows the drawings for the project as FSWD was proposing to build it at that time. In this video from the September Town Hall Meeting, Gregg Yamachika, contracted by the City to [...]
Sunday September 04 2011
Sept. 4, 2011 – A birds-eye view of the hot-button topic of redistricting will be presented by a panel of key players at a special program sponsored by the League of Women Voters Pasadena Area Sept. 8 at the Women’s City Club, 160 N. Oakland Ave. Part of Lunch with the League, the free public [...]
Sunday September 04 2011
Sept. 4th, 2011 – During the week of Sunday, August 21st, to Saturday August 27th, the Sierra Madre Police Department responded to approximately 239 calls for service. See crimereports.com for updated information. Sunday, August 21st: 3:57 AM- Disorderly Conduct/Drunk in Public, 100 blk. N. Hermosa Ave. Officers arrested a 26-year old man for public intoxication [...]
Sunday September 04 2011
Sept. 4th, 2011 – Registration for fall classes is now open online at www.cityofsierramadre.com onlineregistration or in person at the community services office, 611 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., M-TH 8:30 am to 6:30 pm. Returning classes include adult & youth tennis, Tai Chi, yoga, Zumba, water aerobics & karate for adults as well as youth [...]
Sunday September 04 2011
Sept. 4th, 2011 – While most projects that go before the Planning Commission and/or the City Council for review and approval do not have public reviews prior to their appearance before those venues, the public will have opportunities to learn about and provide input for the proposed senior assisted living facility at the former Skilled [...]
Wednesday August 24 2011
8/24/11 – City Hall has now forwarded to me the staff report for tomorrow’s CRA Special Meeting. 8-25-2011 CRA Special Meeting Staff Report
Wednesday August 24 2011
9:15am, 8/24/11 – I just (8:45am, 8/24) received the attached notice regarding a Districting Task Force meeting that will take place in City Council Chambers this evening at 6pm. Click here to view
Tuesday August 23 2011
August 23, 2011 – There will be a special meeting of the Board of Directors of the Community Redevelopment Agency on Thursday at 5:30pm in City Council Chambers. The only item on the agenda is a recommendation that the CRA Agency Board adopt RESOLUTION NO. 450: Approval of Community Redevelopment Agency’s Enforceable Obligation Payment Schedule. Here’s the official agenda: 8-25-2011 CRA [...]
Sunday August 21 2011
Refrigerator and Freezer Recycling Program Saturday August 27th – Thinking about getting rid of your used refrigerator or freezer? Or just want to save some money on your energy bill? Take advantage of Southern California Edison’s Saturday pickup event in the City of Sierra Madre. SCE is offering its utility customers who are residents of [...]
Sunday August 21 2011
The City of Sierra Madre Water Department began construction of a replacement water main in East Sierra Madre Boulevard on Monday, August 15th. The project will replace a major portion of a 90-year old water main with a new 12-inch diameter main, new fire hydrants and new water services to each residence or business within [...]
Thursday August 18 2011
Posted August 18, 2011 – Back in March, Billy Shields of Fountain Square Development West made a presentation to City Council regarding the company’s consideration of converting the former 1.84 acre Skilled Nursing Facility property to a Senior Assisted Living facility that will assist 96 seniors and includes a 58,000 sq. ft. 2-story structure. You can [...]
Thursday August 11 2011
The City of Sierra Madre Water Department will begin construction of a replacement water main in East Sierra Madre Boulevard on Monday, August 15th. The project will replace a major portion of a 90-year old water main with a new 12-inch diameter main, new fire hydrants and new water services to each residence or business [...]
Wednesday August 10 2011
Saturday, August 20th, from 9am to 2pm in the Mariposa Parking Lot (behind the Bottle Shop), LA County Public Works in conjunction with the City will host a Hazardous Waste and E-Waste Roundup. Old paints, thinners, pesticides, oils, pool chemicals and fluorescent bulbs, among other things, qualify. In the E-waste section, bring your TVs, computer [...]
Wednesday August 10 2011
During the week of Sunday, July 31st, to Saturday August 6th, the Sierra Madre Police Department responded to approximately 282 calls for service. See crimereports.com for updated information. Sunday, July 31St : 2:08 PM- Grand Theft Exceeding $950, 500 blk. Manzanita Ave. Unknown suspect(s) stole a detached removable blue hardtop belonging to a Jeep Wrangler [...]
Sunday August 07 2011
8-9-2011 Agenda
Tuesday August 02 2011
During the week of Sunday, July 24th, to Saturday July 30th, the Sierra Madre Police Department responded to approximately 318 calls for service. See crimereports.com for updated information. Tuesday, July 26th: 9:17 AM- Auto Burglary, 500 blk. W. Highland Ave. Unknown suspect(s) entered a locked parked car with both of its rear windows down, between [...]
Tuesday August 02 2011
The San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District continues to identify additional evidence of West Nile virus (WNV) transmission. Mosquitoes collected at the District headquarters in West Covina, and a chicken from a sentinel flock housed at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in the City of Irwindale have tested positive for the virus. [...]
Monday August 01 2011
The City of Sierra Madre and John Crawford have reached a settlement on Crawford’s lawsuit over the City’s Ordinance 1312, increasing water rates, filed May 6th, 2011. In the suit, Crawford alleged that the actions taken by the City to increase the water rates were contrary to law because they violated the California constitution as [...]
Saturday July 30 2011
The LA Superior Court website has a new entry on case no. BS131950, John Crawford’s lawsuit against the City of Sierra Madre, filed on May 6, 2011. Crawford had filed suit alleging that the actions taken by the City to increase the water rates were contrary to law because they violated the California constitution as [...]
Saturday July 30 2011
Why is being African-American a crime when riding a bicycle in Sierra Madre?
Tuesday July 26 2011
SMPD will be a participant in the “National Night Out” program, the event taking place on Tuesday, August 2nd from 6pm to 8pm. The public is invited to this event, which is designed to heighten crime prevention awareness, generate support for anticrime efforts, and strengthen neighborhood spirit and Police community partnerships. Police, Fire, City Staff [...]
Saturday July 23 2011
Friday, the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority announced an agreement had been reached for the purchase of 14-acres owned by the City of Monrovia and its’ Redevelopment Agency. The land is needed for the light rail extension from Pasadena to Azusa’s maintenance and operations facility. The site was selected for the facility earlier [...]
Saturday July 23 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 City Council Agenda
Saturday July 09 2011
7-12-2011 City Council Agenda
Thursday July 07 2011
At the City Council Meeting on June 14th, Council approved and awarded a five (5) year contract to Raw Inspiration, Inc., for all management and marketing of the City’s Farmers Market. The location of the market has changed from the previous location in the Mariposa Parking Lot to Hermosa Avenue, south of Sierra Madre Boulevard [...]
Wednesday June 29 2011
The City of Sierra Madre has responded to the lawsuit filed by John Crawford on May 6, 2011 (which we wrote about here and here) by filing a Notice of Demurrer and Demurrer to the Verified Petition and Complaint on June 20th, 2011. A hearing is scheduled for July 25th at 9:30am in Department 85 of [...]
Wednesday June 29 2011
At Tuesday’s Council meeting, retiring firefighters Michael Bamberger (Battalion Chief, 22 years), Bill Messersmith (Engineer, 40 years) and Michael Tyler (Engineer, 44 years) were recognized for their years of dedication to the department and their service to the Community. Enjoy the video… a a a a a a a
Wednesday June 29 2011
Tom Love, Sierra Madre’s representative to the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, provided an update on the District to City Council during community communications Tuesday night, accompanied by the District’s mascot, H2Owl, and students from Sierra Madre School. Love, who sits on the Board of Directors at the District, provided a PowerPoint presentation to [...]
Wednesday June 29 2011
From the office of Supervisor Mike Antonovich… “The state’s realignment plan is a Trojan Horse that will financially break the backs of local government,” said County Mayor Michael D. Antonovich. ”While nationally, Democrat and Republican governors are providing leadership in renegotiating labor agreements, cutting costs and lowering taxes, Governor Brown is taking California in the [...]
Tuesday June 28 2011
Despite a recommendation by the UUT Oversight Committee, which recommended that the Council raise the UUT rate to 12%, the Council chose to take no action at Tuesday’s meeting.
Tuesday June 28 2011
At the beginning of tonight’s Council Meeting, Mayor John Buchanan took a moment at the beginning of the reports by Council Members to announce that after five years, City Attorney Sandra (Sandy) Levin is stepping down as City Attorney and General Counsel to the Sierra Madre Community Redevelopment Agency. Levin replaced Michael Colantuano when he stepped [...]
Monday June 27 2011
At Tuesday’s Council meeting, the Council will discuss the 2012 Regional Housing Needs Assessment process at the request of Council Member MaryAnn MacGillivray. Council Member MacGillivray will be providing an update regarding the Regional Housing Needs Assessment Update (RHNA) and Council action may be requested, for example, if the Council would like to submit a letter [...]
Friday June 24 2011
The staff report for Item 3 on Tuesday night’s City Council Agenda includes a recommendation by the UUT Oversight Committee that the Council increase the UUT rate to 12%. The Oversight Committee voted 3 to 2 to make that recommendation. According to the staff report, the recommendations state that for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, [...]
Friday June 24 2011
Tuesday, 6-28-2011 City Council Agenda
Tuesday June 21 2011
The City of Sierra Madre is very excited to announce that the long awaited Hart Part House Senior Center renovation project will begin in July. A special Groundbreaking Ceremony will be held on Thursday, July 14 at 3 pm in front of the center located at 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. in Memorial Park. The [...]
Tuesday June 21 2011
I received a link to an interactive map today from Senator Bob Huff’s office, that allows you to view the proposed Congressional map, proposed Senate map, proposed Assembly map, proposed Board of Equalization map, the County lines for the entire state, or just for your region of interest. You can view a single map, or [...]
Friday June 17 2011
The City of Sierra Madre is alerting residents of a potential senior scam. A Sierra Madre resident informed the City that a company had contacted them, offering to come to their home to do free construction projects as part of a program with the City’s Senior Center. The City is NOT involved or sponsoring a [...]
Thursday June 16 2011
In a YouTube video and veto message released today, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. announced that he will not sign Senate Bill 69 and Assembly Bill 98, which together comprise the state budget passed by the Legislature on June 15, 2011. The YouTube video can be viewed here. The full text of the veto message [...]
Wednesday June 15 2011
The L.A. Times is reporting that California Democratic lawmakers have passed a budget – over Republican objections - that is “balanced with a blend of taxes, cuts and clever accounting.” According to the Times, the budget avoids many of the severe reductions that were expected to be needed for a balanced budget by “returning to old [...]
Wednesday June 15 2011
The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve the the Fiscal Year 2011-2012 and Fiscal Year 2012-2013 Biennial Budget. The Budget is the City’s financial plan for the period of July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2013. As part of the Budget adoption, there were seven resolutions considered and approved. The City’s midyear budget review [...]
Wednesday June 15 2011
Sierra Madre Police Chief Marilyn Diaz introduced a new group of “Traffic Volunteers” to the community at last night’s Council meeting. Eight members of the community underwent seven weeks of training in traffic control at the Glendora Police Dept. to become certified as traffic volunteers for SMPD. These volunteers will be employed in the event [...]
Wednesday June 15 2011
The City Council took a few moments to recognize the Sierra Madre Community Foundation for its contributions to the City last night. Rob Stockly, Chairman of the ten member, all volunteer Board of Directors of the Foundation, was on hand to receive a certificate from Mayor John Buchanan. Stockly then spoke for a few minutes about what [...]
Monday June 13 2011
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, City Staff is presenting the Fiscal Year 2011-2012 and Fiscal Year 2012-2013 Biennial Budget for approval by the City Council, Redevelopment Agency and the Public Finance Authority. The Budget is the City’s financial plan for the period of July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2013. As part of the Budget [...]
Monday June 13 2011
In order to comply with the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972, the City Council must hold a public hearing to confirm assessments and to notify property owners. In addition, Section 22566 of the CA Streets and Highway Code requires the City Engineer to prepare a report of the City’s intention to levy assessments for [...]
Friday June 10 2011
Tuesday, June, 2011 City Council Agenda Click link above to view agenda.
Tuesday June 07 2011
During the week of Sunday, May 29th, to Saturday June 4th, the Sierra Madre Police Department responded to approximately 344 calls for service. See crimereports.com for updated information. Sunday, May 29th: 12:03 PM- DUI Alcohol /Drugs, Michillinda Ave and Orange Grove. An officer stopped a 62-year old female Pasadena motorist for a Vehicle Code violation [...]
Tuesday June 07 2011
This is the City’s opportunity to recognize and honor the true treasures of Sierra Madre, its volunteers, City Commissioners and employees. Sierra Madre Honors… Recognition and Appreciation Dinner will recognize all out-going City Commissioners as well as extraordinary community members, organizations and employees. Please take a moment to review the awards listed below and nominate [...]
Wednesday June 01 2011
During the week of Sunday, May 22nd, to Saturday May 28th, the Sierra Madre Police Department responded to approximately 352 calls for service. See crimereports.com for updated information. Sunday, May 22ND: 11:23 AM- Possession of Controlled Substance, Mountain Trail Ave and Orange Grove Ave. An officer stopped a 35-year old Sierra Madre motorist for a [...]
Wednesday June 01 2011
The City of Sierra Madre Senior Community Commission presents a Community Yard Sale on Saturday, June 11, 2011 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. located in the Sierra Vista Park Parking Lot (611 E. Sierra Madre Blvd.). Community members are invited to come together with their neighbors to participate in a community yard sale. Participants [...]
Tuesday May 31 2011
The City is accepting applications for all the City’s open commissioner seats. In particular, we have at least two vacancies on the Community Services Commission beginning July 1st – one of which is the youth seat (ages 13-17). Please consider applying to serve as a Community Services Commissioner or forward to anyone you know who [...]
Thursday May 26 2011
The Sierra Madre Community & Personnel Services Department announced that four new classes have been added to their Summer Recreation Program: Water Aerobics, Zumba, Kidz Love Soccer and a special Teen Acting for Theater. These four new programs join the department’s already active youth & adult summer schedule that includes: Swim Lessons, Ballet & Tap, [...]
Sunday May 22 2011
At the special meeting of the City Council to introduce the draft 2011-2013 budget, City Manager Elaine Aguilar mentioned that the draft being proposed and discussed that night, a copy of which you can find here, would be modified several times before the Council takes action to approve it, now scheduled to take place at the June [...]
Sunday May 22 2011
As the future of Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRA) continues to be clouded in uncertainty, the City of Sierra Madre is considering passing a resolution that would protect it from loss of several properties, including City Hall, should the State decide to eliminate the CRAs. At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Council will consider Joint Resolution [...]
Friday May 20 2011
Here’s the City Council Agenda for Tuesday night. 5-24-2011Agenda
Thursday May 19 2011
During the week of Sunday, May 8th, to Saturday May 14th, the Sierra Madre Police Department responded to approximately 244 calls for service. See crimereports.com for updated information. Monday, May 9th: 4:48 PM- Petty Theft, 400 blk. San Gabriel Ct. An unknown suspect(s) stole a Garmin GPS and a Sony digital camera from an unlocked [...]
Thursday May 19 2011
In April, after the City Council approved a C.U.P. requested by AT&T allowing them (AT&T) to co-locate equipment on an existing cell tower in a City Yard, we reported that in our conversation with Planning Director Danny Castro after the meeting, he informed us that the tower could be in place by late June or [...]
Thursday May 19 2011
A request for Conditional Use Permit (C.U.P.) by A T & T so that they can co-locate their cell equipment at an existing tower at Methodist Church to improve cell coverage on the west end of town is on tonight’s agenda. In April, a similar request was made of the City Council for a cell [...]
Tuesday May 17 2011
The City of Sierra Madre Senior Community Commission presents a Community Yard Sale on Saturday, June 11, 2011 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. located in the Sierra Vista Park Parking Lot (611 E. Sierra Madre Blvd.). Community members are invited to come together with their neighbors to participate in a community yard sale. Participants [...]
Monday May 16 2011
The City of Sierra Madre has issued a Green Flag Alert for mudslides and debris flows in the hillside communities. The National Weather Service has forecasted 90% precipitation for tonight and 80% for tomorrow (5/17/2011). A Green Flag Alert is issued when there is an 80% chance or more of precipitation. Affected residents should get [...]
Saturday May 14 2011
Click here to view the agenda Special 5-17-11 Joint Mtg with PUSD
Wednesday May 11 2011
The City Council voted 5 – 0 last night to use more than 75% of the $100,000 in Community Redevelopment Agency Funds (CRA) they had allocated for this year for the CRA’s Business Incentive Program. The purpose of the Incentive Program is to assist with the development of desirable businesses within the redevelopment area by subsidizing [...]
Tuesday May 10 2011
4:55pm – City Manager Elaine Aguilar has now confirmed for me that the City has been served with John Crawford’s lawsuit. I will be posting the first (main) part of the lawsuit paperwork (minus appendices) shortly. 5:55pm – Here’s a copy of the first 19 pages of the lawsuit filed by John Crawford against the [...]
Tuesday May 10 2011
So this morning Sierra Madre Patch announced that it will start posting the Council Meeting Agenda Packets online. Good for them. City Hall doesn’t do it, and it would be nice to have all that information available to the General Public, I suppose. The press has had access to the packets for a long time, but I [...]
Tuesday May 10 2011
Click here to view the agenda.
Monday May 09 2011
See bottom of article for update…. Sierra Madre resident John Crawford announced on his website today that he has filed suit against the City of Sierra Madre in relation to the recent increase in water rates. According to Crawford “A “Verified Petition For Writ Of Mandate And Complaint For Declaratory Relief” was filed with the [...]
Friday May 06 2011
The City of Sierra Madre and the General Plan Update Steering Committee (GPUSC) will seek input from the public at a Town Hall Forum to be held at the Sierra Madre Fire Station from 1pm to 4pm this Saturday, May 7th. The Fire Station is located at 242 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., right next to [...]
Wednesday May 04 2011
Earlier this afternoon, I picked up a press copy of the Budget Proposal, and I’ve scanned it in so you can review and study it. Please note, this is a preliminary draft, and the final budget will likely have significant differences than what you see here. Also, I picked up the printed copy of the [...]
Wednesday May 04 2011
At last night’s General Plan Update Steering Committee (GPUSC) meeting, during public comment Councilmember MaryAnn MacGillivray asked about a telephone poll that many Sierra Madreans have been contacted about. According to one member of the Steering Committe who has been polled, it is apparently conducted by a company from out of state, and asks questions that [...]
Tuesday May 03 2011
From the office of CA Senator Bob Huff: The nomination period is now open for my “Citizen of the Year” contest in the 29th Senate District covering portions of Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino Counties. My district office in Walnut must receive these nominations by May 10th, or they can also be emailed to [...]
Friday April 29 2011
AGENDA SPECIAL MEETING SIERRA MADRE CITY COUNCIL, COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY, & PUBLIC FINANCE AUTHORITY Wednesday, May 4, 2011 6:30 pm City Hall Council Chambers 232 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard John Buchanan, Mayor Josh Moran, Mayor Pro-Tem MaryAnn MacGillivray, Council Member Joe Mosca, Council Member Nancy Walsh, Council Member Nancy Shollenberger, City Clerk George Enyedi, [...]
Wednesday April 27 2011
After five years of service to the City of Sierra Madre, and a law enforcement career spanning 37 years, Police Chief Marilyn Diaz has announced her retirement at the end of this year. Chief Diaz’ 32 years of experience with the Pasadena Police Department, combined with her status as a long-time resident of Sierra Madre, [...]
Wednesday April 27 2011
Sierra Madre Public Library Director Toni Buckner has announced her retirement after 34 years with the City of Sierra Madre. Toni shepherded the library from the era of the card catalog to online databases and brought web access and computer literacy to library services for use as a regular service to library patrons. Toni has [...]
Wednesday April 27 2011
Photo gallery below article At Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, Mayor Joe Mosca ended his term as Mayor, and the Council then voted to make John Buchanan the new Mayor, nominated by Josh Moran and seconded by Nancy Walsh. Moran was then voted in as Mayor Pro Tem, nominated by Walsh and seconded by Mosca. [...]
Tuesday April 26 2011
The City of Sierra Madre and the General Plan Update Steering Committee (GPSC) is seeking input from the public at a Town Hall Forum to be held at the Sierra Madre Fire Station from 1 pm to 4 pm on Saturday, May 7th. The Fire Station is located at 242 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., right [...]
Tuesday April 26 2011
During the week of Sunday, April 17TH, to Saturday April 23RD, the Sierra Madre Police Department responded to approximately 372 calls for service. See crimereports.com for updated information. Sunday, April 17th: 2:40 AM- Possession of Marijuana in Vehicle, 300 blk. N. Lima St. An officer noticed a suspicious vehicle with two males. Further investigation revealed [...]
Tuesday April 19 2011
Today’s election, which, for Sierra Madreans, has only one item on it, a runoff between incumbent Tom Selinske and challenger Sean Baggett for a seat on the PUSD Board of Education, is not drawing many voters. When I stopped by the polling place at Congregational Church (the building that should be being used for store [...]
Wednesday April 13 2011
City Council voted last night to approve a re-structuring of the Sierra Madre Fire Department that would eliminate the Paramedics Coordinator position and the Fire Marshal position, and add three paid Captain positions to the department. The current Paramedic Coordinator and Fire Marshal would remain as Captains, and their duties would be incorporated into the [...]
Wednesday April 13 2011
City Council last night voted to follow recommendations by Staff and the Planning Commission to approve a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to allow AT&T to add equipment to an existing T-Mobile cell tower disguised as a pine tree in the City Yards. AT&T has been notorious in Sierra Madre for poor cell reception, and stated [...]
Friday April 08 2011
AGENDA REGULAR MEETING SIERRA MADRE CITY COUNCIL, COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY, AND PUBLIC FINANCE AUTHORITY Tuesday, April 12, 2011 Closed Session 5:30 pm Open Session 6:30 pm City Hall Council Chambers 232 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard Joe Mosca, Mayor John Buchanan, Mayor Pro-Tem MaryAnn MacGillivray, Council Member Josh Moran, Council Member Nancy Walsh, Council Member Nancy [...]
Saturday March 26 2011
New leakage sprang up at the corner of Auburn and Montecito this morning. This follows Thursday’s street closure due to pipe issues. Today’s leak has water coming from between the curb and the sidewalk on the north side of the street.
Friday March 25 2011
URGENT MESSAGE: LAST MINUTE VENUE CHANGE FOR “SIERRA MADRE JAPANESE CULTURAL NIGHT” Sierra Madre Japanese Cultural Night will move its location indoors to the Sierra Madre Room located in Sierra Vista Park, 611 East Sierra Madre Blvd. on Friday, March 25, 2011, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Join us in our newly renovated Sierra Madre [...]
Thursday March 24 2011
For the second time in the last few months, a section of Montecito Ave. just west of Baldwin had to be closed down today while Public Works worked to repair a leaky pipe underground. This leak was about 100 feet west of the previous leak, which was about 15 feet west of Baldwin Ave. This [...]
Wednesday March 23 2011
The City has issued a Green Flag alert, which is done when there is a prediction of 80% – 100% chance of precipitation.
Saturday March 19 2011
Former Secretary of State Warren Christopher passed away at his home in Los Angeles of complications from bladder and kidney cancer, said Sonja Steptoe of the law firm O’Melveny & Myers, where Christopher was a senior partner. He was 85 years old. Christopher was Secretary of State during the Clinton administration from 1993 – 1996, [...]
Friday March 18 2011
AGENDA REGULAR MEETING SIERRA MADRE CITY COUNCIL & COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY Tuesday, March 22, 2011 Closed Session 5:00 pm Open Session 6:30 pm City Hall Council Chambers 232 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard You can view the entire Agenda by clicking here. Below are the item titles only. For the Agenda for the Strategic Planning Retreat [...]
Wednesday March 16 2011
I have uploaded video of Chief Heydorff’s presentation to the Kiwanis yesterday, with assists from Deputy Chief Pinedo and Battalion Chiefs Mike Bamberger and Bob Burnett. Chief Heydorff was quite clear that the decision will be made by the City Council, not the Department, and that there is no intention of converting the department to [...]
Saturday March 12 2011
San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District (SGVMWD) and the City of Sierra Madre will again sponsor the annual low-flush toilet exchange program, on April 2nd and 23rd. Residents are invited to come and pick up a low-flush toilet on April 2nd at the Rec. Center, between 9am and 11am. The toilet that it replaces in their [...]
Wednesday March 09 2011
After receiving numerous comments from residents near the former church/YAC at 186 W. Highland that indicated that they were uncomfortable with the speed at which the City has seemingly accelerated the process to construct low to moderate housing at the site, the City Council decided not to allow staff to enter into negotiations with Heritage Housing [...]
Saturday March 05 2011
Item 2 on Tuesday’s City Council meeting agenda is a public hearing of the Proposed Canyon Zone – Ordinance No. 1313, amending portions of the General Plan land use map in and near the canyon, adding Chapter 17.30 to Title 17 of the Municipal Code establishing a residential canyone zone, amending the zoning map and amending [...]
Saturday March 05 2011
Item 3 on Tuesday night’s City Council agenda is a request by staff to have the CRA Board authorize staff to enter into negotiations regarding development of low to moderate income housing at the former YAC and Church site on Highland Ave. Previously, the Board had appropriated $25,000 to hire a consultant to assist with development and [...]
Saturday March 05 2011
At Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, Item 4 on the agenda is discussion regarding a preliminary proposal for an assisted living facility at the site of the former Skilled Nursing Facility at 225 – 245 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. The property is just under 2 acres of land and has been vacant for several years. According to [...]
Saturday March 05 2011
AGENDA� REGULAR MEETING SIERRA MADRE CITY COUNCIL & COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY Tuesday, March 8, 2011 Closed Session 5:00 pm Open Session 6:30 pm City Hall Council Chambers 232 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard You can view the entire Agenda by clicking here. Below are the item titles only. CONSENT CALENDAR Item [...]
Friday March 04 2011
Pat Alcorn has been named Older American of the Year by Sierra Madre’s Senor Community Commission. Alcorn will be recognized at a reception in her honor on Friday, May 13th at 4:30pm, as part of Older Americans Month. She will also be recognized by L.A. County Supervisors at a luncheon. Alcorn posted on her Facebook [...]
Tuesday March 01 2011
Photos and video below article The Sierra Madre Room was packed as the first State of the City speech began Monday, and even after the parents of the Sierra Madre School third graders left following their performance, there were still several dozen people on hand to listen as Mayor Joe Mosca spoke for just over [...]
Thursday February 24 2011
The City of Sierra Madre has issued a Green Flag Alert for mudslides and debris flows in the hillside communities. The National Weather Service has forecasted 80% to 100% chance of precipitation for tomorrow and through the night. A Green Flag Alert is issued when there is an 80% chance or more of precipitation. Affected residents [...]
Tuesday February 22 2011
During the week of Sunday, February 13th, to Saturday February 19th, the Sierra Madre Police Department responded to approximately 366 calls for service. See crimereports.com for updated information. Friday, February 18th: 4:43 PM- Petty Theft, Montecito Ct. Unknown suspect(s) stole an unlocked blue Moongoose dirt bike in an alley behind Bean Town. 10:40 PM- Possession [...]
Saturday February 19 2011
After the LACDPW issued a “No Phase” forecast for all burn areas, the City of Sierra Madre has rescinded the Yellow Flag alert in affect since 12:30 Friday afternoon, and issued a Green Flag alert. All parking restrictions in and below the Canyon from the Yellow Flag are now cancelled. A Green Flag Alert is issued [...]
Friday February 18 2011
On Monday, February 28, 2011 from 6:00 – 7:00 pm the City of Sierra Madre will be hosting its first ever State of the City address at the Community Recreation Center in the newly renovated Sierra Madre Room at 611 East Sierra Madre Boulevard. This year’s theme is “Working Together the Sierra Madre Way” and [...]
Friday February 18 2011
AGENDA REGULAR MEETING SIERRA MADRE CITY COUNCIL & COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY Tuesday, February 22, 2011 Closed Session 5:00 pm Open Session 6:30 pm City Hall Council Chambers 232 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard You can view the entire agenda by clicking here 1. a) ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION NO. 11-14 OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY [...]
Friday February 18 2011
The City of Sierra Madre has issued a Yellow Flag Alert today. The County of Los Angeles Public Works Department has issued a Phase 1 Mudflow Forecast. A Phase 1 indicates that small isolated debris and mudflows are possible at specific locations. Streets may be flooded or blocked by debris. Woodland Drive, Skyland Drive, and [...]
Friday February 18 2011
Women in California won the right to vote 100 years ago – before the rest of the nation got on board. Civic-minded women in Pasadena banded together 25 years later to form a League of Women Voters chapter – just 16 years after the 19th amendment passed. The League of Women Voters Pasadena Area will [...]
Tuesday February 15 2011
The City of Sierra Madre has issued a Green Flag Alert for mudslides and debris flows in the hillside communities. The National Weather Service has forecasted 100% chance of precipitation beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, February 16, 2011. A Green Flag Alert is issued when there is an 80% chance or more of precipitation. Affected residents should [...]
Wednesday February 09 2011
A special meeting of the General Plan Steering Committee will be held this Sunday, February 13th, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., in the City Hall Council Chamber, 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. On the agenda for the day is the Land Use Element of the General Plan, which is the largest section in the [...]
Wednesday February 09 2011
The City of Sierra Madre is updating its General Plan. A General Plan is a document which provides goals, objectives, policies, and a set of maps and diagrams affecting the physical development, social, economic, and environmental resources of the City. The General Plan is a blueprint for what Sierra Madre will be for the next [...]
Wednesday February 09 2011
The City is “re-developing” the YAC and trying to get more enrichment based programs implemented to better suit the needs of parents and teens residing in Sierra Madre. The YAC Re-Development Committee would provide insight and help steer the process of creating new programs and activities. Having the input of local school administrator and parents [...]
Saturday February 05 2011
AGENDA, REGULAR MEETING SIERRA MADRE CITY COUNCIL & COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. You can view the entire agenda by clicking here. CLOSED SESSION, 5:30pm Item 1 – Performance evaluation, City Manager� Item 2 – Conference w/counsel re: anticipated litigation REGULAR SESSION, 6:30pm Presentations: 2010 Paramedic of the Year – Jeffrey [...]
Monday November 15 2010
This editorial is the opinion of Bill Coburn, publisher of Sierra Madre News Net and 15 year Sierra Madre resident. It is not intended to reflect the views of any other person or entity with whom I am associated. While I really had no idea what to expect, the meeting far exceeded any expectations [...]
Sunday November 14 2010
This editorial is the opinion of Bill Coburn, publisher of Sierra Madre News Net and 15 year Sierra Madre resident. It is not intended to reflect the views of any other person or entity with whom I am associated. Last Tuesday night at City Council, four members of the Council again rebuffed Council Member MaryAnn [...]
Tuesday September 14 2010
This editorial is the opinion of Bill Coburn, publisher of Sierra Madre News Net and 15 year Sierra Madre resident. It is not intended to reflect the views of any other person or entity with whom I am associated It was reported yesterday that former City Council Member Don Watts was surprised by the City’s [...]
Friday July 30 2010
This editorial is the opinion of Bill Coburn, publisher of Sierra Madre News Net and 15 year Sierra Madre resident. It is not intended to reflect the views of any other person or entity with whom I am associated. At Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, the City Council did the right thing by setting the [...]
Saturday July 24 2010
Date approximate, within a week This editorial is the opinion of Bill Coburn, publisher of Sierra Madre News Net and 15 year Sierra Madre resident. It is not intended to reflect the views of any other person or entity with whom I am associated The results of the verification of resident protest letters regarding the [...]
Tuesday July 20 2010
(7/20/10) What Are The Real Numbers? Who Cares? I Do, NOW – Editorial This editorial is the opinion of Bill Coburn, publisher of Sierra Madre News Net and 15 year Sierra Madre resident. It is not intended to reflect the views of any other person or entity with whom I am associated Last Tuesday night [...]
Sunday April 18 2010
This editorial is the opinion of Bill Coburn, publisher of Sierra Madre News Net and 15 year Sierra Madre resident. It is not intended to reflect the views of any other person or entity with whom I am associated. Okay, it’s been a couple days. Frankly, I think what I posted on my blog more [...]
Monday April 12 2010
This editorial is the opinion of Bill Coburn, publisher of Sierra Madre News Net and 15 year Sierra Madre resident. It is not intended to reflect the views of any other person or entity with whom I am associated. Candidate John Crawford has had on his website, for some time now, a photo of what [...]
Wednesday April 07 2010
This editorial is the opinion of Bill Coburn, publisher of Sierra Madre News Net and 15 year Sierra Madre resident. It is not intended to reflect the views of any other person or entity with whom I am associated. In a move that is being seen by many as an attempt at damage control, John [...]
Friday April 02 2010
This editorial is the opinion of Bill Coburn, publisher of Sierra Madre News Net and 15 year Sierra Madre resident. It is not intended to reflect the views of any other person or entity with whom I am associated. In the days following the Santa Anita Fire in April and May of 2008, the grateful [...]
Tuesday March 30 2010
This editorial is the opinion of Bill Coburn, publisher of Sierra Madre News Net and 15 year Sierra Madre resident. It is not intended to reflect the views of any other person or entity with whom I am associated. I doubt anyone is going to be particularly surprised by my endorsements, but you might be [...]
Sunday March 28 2010
This editorial is the opinion of Bill Coburn, publisher of Sierra Madre News Net and 15 year Sierra Madre resident. It is not intended to reflect the views of any other person or entity with whom I am associated. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t feel that a person is responsible for things that other people say. However, [...]
Wednesday August 05 2009
Bill Coburn is publisher of the SierraMadreNews.Net website, and a 15-year resident of Sierra Madre. He is also Executive Director of the Sierra Madre Chamber of Commerce, however the opinions stated in this article are Mr. Coburn’s alone, and should not be construed in any way as representative of the views of the Chamber of [...]
Monday March 09 2009
First, let me say that I’m writing this editorial as a 15-year resident of Sierra Madre and publisher of SierraMadreNews.Net. The opinions you will read here are my opinions, and they are not intended to be representative of the Chamber of Commerce, its Board of Directors, or its members. Obviously, as president of the Chamber, [...]
Tuesday October 28 2008
Date approximate, late October, 2008 I don’t have confirmed opinions on all the issues done yet, but I’m posting some of the ones that I’ve already made up my mind on. As I learn more, I’ll post more. President/Vice-president – Obama and Biden (I prefer Obama, but could live with it if McCain should win [...]
Friday October 24 2008
Recently, I asked someone I know and respect about his position on Prop. 8. The reason I did is that I know he is very active in the Catholic church, and I was curious as to whether he was toeing the Church line, or if he was taking a position in opposition to the Church. [...]
Thursday May 01 2008
This editorial was originally posted in my coverage of the Santa Anita Fire, and was not posted on my editorial page. Recently, on another blog, a poster stated that I had pulled this editorial down, because as they said, “Bill’s Downtown Investor Club (DIC) friends were furious with Bill for writing anything nice about Kurt, [...]
Tuesday March 25 2008
City Clerk Nancy Shollenberger announced today that she would reimburse the City for expenses incurred due to her error on the Sample ballot. She gave no indication as to whether she will also take financial responsibility for the City’s Court costs if the election is challenged, or if the resolution of the challenge is that [...]
Sunday March 23 2008
City Clerk Nancy Shollenberger responded to my e-mail asking if she would reimburse the City for expenses incurred due to her error on the Sample Ballot by saying that she would be making a public announcement at the Kiwanis candidate forum and the City Council meeting this Tuesday. The implication is that Ms. Shollenberger will [...]
Wednesday March 19 2008
The error on the sample ballot under City Clerk Nancy Shollenberger’s stewardship is just the latest in a series of issues that have occurred through the years, ranging from outdated handbooks being given to candidates, concerns over judgment regarding partiality, to an eight-year period in which no ordinances were published, and thus did not officially [...]
Sunday March 16 2008
Karma Bell wants to establish regular office hours for the City Clerk. And Karma Bell wants to spend those City Clerk hours actually in the place where much City Government business takes place – City Hall. There’s a novel concept. A City Clerk, who is accessible to her constituents for multiple hours each week, in [...]
Saturday June 16 2007
News Net All-America City Coverage I admit it. I didn’t get it. Just like some of you that I’ve talked with over the last few days, I didn’t see what the big deal was. What’s the big deal about being an All-America City? I wanted somebody to tell me that it meant that we’d see [...]
Wednesday April 11 2007
2-30-13 Let’s break it down. Two. As in two stories. I talked a little about this in last week’s editorial. Two is too restrictive, and sets limits on the rights of the downtown property owners that, I can guarantee you, you wouldn’t want placed on you if you owned the property. Properties on a slope? [...]
Thursday April 05 2007
I’ve decided to vote no on Measure V. And here are some of my thoughts as to why I came to that decision. I think there are too many flaws in the initiative, too many angles that have not been thought through. Ambiguities. Things that could be interpreted in more than one way. So we [...]
Friday March 02 2007
City Council member Joe Mosca has been served with recall papers. In my opinion, anybody that would choose to recall Joe Mosca has an agenda that is something other than who can best represent this City as a Council member. For me, it’s that simple. I can not recall anyone who has worked harder and [...]
Friday September 15 2006
Well, I guess I’m in for it now. I’ve decided to bring my opinion into my writing. You’ll notice that when I did so, I put the word “Editorial” in front of it. I wish more papers would do that. Anyway, I expect I’m in for it now, since I’m sure many of you will [...]
Friday August 29 2003
I spoke Friday morning with Matthew Raymond, who is in Communications at the MTA. He informed me that the MTA has adopted a new name for the Sierra Madre Villa Station, based on requests made to the Executive Staff and the Board of Directors of the MTA by the City of Pasadena City Council. Because [...]
Thursday July 31 2003
The MTA has changed the name of the Sierra Madre Villa station to the East Pasadena station. Business owners should be calling upon our City leaders to make an effort to reverse this decision, and expressing disappointment that not one request was made by our administrators/council members to prevent this change by the MTA. Having [...]
Sunday March 23 2003
Follow-up to our “When Bush Comes to Shove!!” Editorial With apologies to Nike — Now that we’ve invaded, there’s no looking back. We’re there. Let’s JUST DO IT! Regime change is necessary. Let’s change the leadership, and then go about the business of trying to rebuild the relationships we’ve nearly destroyed through our bullying, unilateral [...]
Monday March 17 2003
When Bush comes to shove, everybody loses. I have, as yet, not taken a stance on the crisis in Iraq. Today, I think it’s time that I did. Because it’s not a crisis in Iraq. It’s a crisis in the world. It’s a crisis in every community in the United States, where we must all [...]
Sunday October 20 2002
I would like to put to rest a rumor that I heard that the reason for the cancellation of Sunday’s events is that the City took over Pioneer Days. The City bears no responsibility for the cancellation of three events this year. The structure of Pioneer Days has always left the individual event planning to [...]
Wednesday August 21 2002
My first editorial, ever. It’s a busy weekend, this weekend. Friday night has opening night at the Playhouse, Parks and Rec.’s Dodger night, and Lew’s Salmon Dinner benefiting ACS Relay and SMVFD. But I won’t be covering any of them, because I’ll be camping with my son and Cub Scout Pack 110. Four Sierra Madre [...]
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