Happy Halloween WHERE YOUR COMMUNITY NEWS COMES FIRST - Sierra Madre Arcadia Pasadena Altadena and Monrovia Week Ending November 2, 2007 Volume 1, No. 11 Sierra Madre’s Brush With Fire Once Every 100 Years By Dean Lee e Sierra Madre Fire Department, Centennial Celebration Ends With Huell Howser along with the help of Pasadena and Arcadia, quickly put down a brush re As Mayor For A Day And A Really Big Flash in Sierra Madre a day before the current restorm began. Just days later all three departments were on the front lines battling the worst res in California history. Fire o cials said a call came in at 12:34 p.m. Oct. 20 reporting a small brush in the Chantry Flats area. Assistant Fire Chief Steve Heydor said Four Sierra Madre Fire figthers were they quickly responded putting out the dispatched to the San Diego County two acre blaze within 30 minutes. He Witch Fire. Those firefighters that also said Tuesday night that the only remained in town were busy protecting thing that prevented the city from being the city. another casualty in the res raging across have become according to local local Southern California was wind. “We re ghters. e Malibu re was fueled were lucky the winds didn’t pick up here,” by winds traveling up to 80 mph, but was he said. “It was kind of weird we had also caused by downed power lines. An them on both sides and, we have re on estimated 2,100 people were evacuated in both sides of us.” Heydor disclosed that that area. the cause of the Chantry Flats re was an In the last week 490,000 acres burned in arcing Southern California Edison power 15 separate res. At least 1,800 homes were line. lost and 600,000 people were evacuated Last month a transformer also according to numerous reports. owned by Edison exploded sending Fire ghters from Sierra Madre, sparks showering down on homes. Pasadena, Arcadia, and Monrovia were A spokesperson for Edison said at all sent to Orange County as part of a 21- Several hundred Sierra Madre residents posed for the ‘big picture’ on Sunday at the time that large parts of the power man strike team Heydor said. e team the Centennial picnic. Estimates are that over 1,000 residents attended the closing infrastructure are outdated especially in helped ght the Witch Fire that alone festivities. Photo by D. Lee/MVO older communities such as Sierra Madre. burned nearly 200,000 acres. Heydor e next day, a re was reported in said Sierra Madre Fire ghters helped By Dean Lee built in 1888, Mary’s Market, the Canyon Malibu and that re now leaves behind an residents in burned areas get back into and the Pinney house built in 1887 eerie feeling of what Sierra Madre could their homes. In case you missed it Huell Howser, host Howser blew threw those focusing his of “California’s Gold,” stopped by last attention on what he said he loves most, weekend for the city’s big bash. Mayor meeting people. And that he got to do. Witches, Goblins & Ghosts Enid Jo e read a proclamation declaring Howser said last time he was here was him Mayor for the day but before she did the Wisteria Festival, “I must have shook Halloween Takes Minds O Problems she made sure that he was fully aware everyone’s hand in town twice,” he said. that the city needs money, and fast. “Because for a solid week it hurt, so I’ve Where on haunted earth can you nd Mayor Howser was up for the task and taken that o the list of things to do.” 372 Harry Potters, 289 Ninja Turtles, 106 a er a quick tour of town got right to Howser, the king of cool, rode through Winnie the Poohs, 13 Raggedy Anns, 718 work asking, in a lighthearted way, folks town in a 1950’s red Cadillac driven by a Draculas, a bunch of hippies, a ragtag band for cash. “As you know the city’s broke,” member of the Road Kings antique car of hoboes, the occasional cheerleader, a few he said as shook hands with everyone club, but not before, he walked a gauntlet mummies, lots and lots of Screams, rock he saw, and then asked. “I am the mayor of historic hotrods. “Who drives this stars, poodle skirt girls from the 50’s, some here for another ve hours so if you can one,” he said as the driver quickly racing bunnies, a lion or two, dozens of every think of anything we need help.” Before over to the car. Howser, Jo e and Judy princess Disney ever created, and a gaggle leaving Memorial Park for a tour of the Webb-Martin all got in and they were of blood-stained corpses? Halloween historic places, Jo e gave him a large o . night on East Alegria in Sierra Madre, “gold” key to the city and Howser assured Later on foot Jo e, as his tour guide, that’s where! everyone he was not seeking re-election. led him through Kersting Court but had Have you ever seen a giant pumpkin spider He said being Mayor was an honor that a hard time as he wandered o track with legs ten feet long? Have you walked he had never had before. talking with bikers and kids alike. He through a graveyard on someone’s front Athough a driving tour listed historic never made it to BeanTown although he lawn? Or seen ghastly ghosts ying through places such as, Church of the Ascension commented (continued on page 3) the air? Have you seen a vampire rise right up out of his co n? Have you oohed and aahed over dozens of pumpkins carved into faces the likes of which you’ve never seen before.....guaranteed to cause nasty Downtown Merchants had a free nightmares? If you haven’t, you haven’t window ‘makeover’ by local students visited East Alegria on Halloween night! It’s tradition that the residents of East Alegria spend days and days before Halloween thinking up new ways to scare visitors. But the festivities start long before All Hallows Eve. Giant pumpkin patches are planted with mysterious giant pumpkin seeds and fed with secret formula pumpkin food. ese monsters are shaded from too much direct sun, turned for uniform shape and color, pampered and petted, and watched by the entire neighborhood as they grow and grow and GROW! You’ll see them all on display this coming Halloween night if you stop by East Alegria, along with ghostly card players, screaming witches, ying ghouls and lots of Trick or Treat candy. Hope for a dark and stormy night and get ready to scream! ere may be a monster waiting to grab you, if you don’t watch out! Kaitlin checks out Tin Man’s outfit while being held by her dad, Jeff Kinney. Happy Halloween and Dorothy, Tin Man, Toto, Scarecrow and Lion were on hand for a special showing may all your candy be the Alegria residents Doug and Heather Parker and family of the original Wizard Of Oz courtesy of Time-Warner Communications. really good kind! Photo by S. Henderson/MVO from as far away as North Carolina carve home grown -Deanne Davis for MVO pumpkins and squash for Trick or Treaters. MountainViews-Observer 37 N. Auburn Avenue #7 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.836.5100 Fax: 626.836.5103 www.mvobserver.com 2 MountainViews-Observer | Week Ending November 1, 2007 MountainViews-Observer WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK Pasadena Farmer’s Market Weather Wise Every Saturday to 12:30 p.m. 5-Day Forecast for Sierra Madre, Ca. Mayor For A Day B-B-Berries. Lili’s herbs, honey, Longitude W118.0, Lattitude N34.2 Sierra Madre Escapes 1 Disaster menudo & tamale stand. Bring the Weekly Highlights kiddies. PHS parking lot Saturday Sunny Hi 70s Lows 40-50s Windy Sierra Madre: Weekend In 2925 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. Sunday: Sunny Hi 80s Lows 50-60s Windy 2 Review Monday: Sunny Hi 90-100 Lows 60s Windy Tuesday: Sunny Hi 90-100 Lows 60s Windy Rich Johnson: Café 322 User Utility Tax Problems Wednesday: Sunny Hi 80-90s Lows 60s Windy Sunday Nights 3 Taking Fire Seriously Let’s Sing Opera & Broadway Forecasts courtesy of the National Weather Service Pasadena’s Great China Pianist Danny Guerrero & Friends 4 Controversy 322 Sierra Madre Blvd. From Chief Marilyn Diaz: FIRE DANGER Senator Scott Speaks Sierra Madre (626) 836-5414 All of your Sierra Madre public safety o cials, police, re, paramedics, Police Blotter and search and rescue, are on high alert due to the res. We have 5 Fire Safe Council Tips Beantown closed Bailey Canyon, Mt. Wilson Trail, and Santa Anita Ave. to SMEAC Did You Know? 45 N. Baldwin Arts & More Time for Ice Cream Chantry Flats to motorists and hikers due to the re danger. ough SM Pioneer Cemetery rd 6 (626) 355-1596 as of Tuesday, October 23 , there have been no res in the San Gabriel The Art Of Coffee foothills, residents should coordinate with their families, loved ones Sierra Madre Elementary Lucky Baldwin’s and neighbors in the event that they have to evacuate, communicate, 7 Gets An A 21 Kersting Court and survive for up to seven days. Canyon residents need to be especially PUSD Test Scores Opinion (626) 355-1140 vigilant due to the heavy brush and narrow, winding roads. Letters To The Editor 8 Classifi eds/Puzzle Mary’s Market 561 Woodland Drive What’s Cooking At Ascension? (626) 355-4534 Sierra Madre’s Church of the Ascension has collected the best recipes from 9 Legal Notices group members, family and friends and compiled them into an attractive e Harvey Hyde Show keepsake cookbook.