SIERRA MADRE EDITION SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2019 VOLUME 13 NO.10 SANTA ANITA SHUT DOWN; 21 HORSES DEAD by Kevin McGuire Animal rights activists continue to accrue outside the iconic Santa Anita Racetrack in Arcadia, holding signs expressing sentiments such “It’s Not Sport, It’s Violence” and “Horseracing Kills Horses,” as the track halts all racing and training indefinitely after the loss of 21 horses over a short 10-week period. In addition to dealing with a depleted horse population this season, over 16 inches of rain has pelted the dirt track over the past two months, making conditions for training treacherous at times for bulked up horses with brittle legs. This past Tuesday, Santa Anita reported the loss of a 4-year-old filly named Let’s Light the Way who shattered its sesamoid bone at the ankle joint. The horse was euthanized. Another 20 horses died as a result of racing the main track, the turf track and morning workouts. After the latest catastrophe, The Stronach Group, owners of Santa Anita, called for closure of the track and a thorough inspection. Why did it take so long? That’s what activists and area residents want to know, as the voiced their displeasure, for the way things were handled, on social media and on the parking lot outside the track. “So it took 21 horses to die before Santa Anita closes indefinitely SMH! (shaking my head), of course it’s about the money, not the horses,” one Twitter post said. According to The Stronach Group, a “highly respected track man” Dennis Moore and Dr. Mick Peterson, of the Racing Services Testing Lab, were brought in to perform extensive testing and a thorough review of the one-mile main track on Thursday, March 7. The results of the inspection are not known at this time. Mr. Moore has 46 years of experience dealing with track surfaces. “As horse lovers first and foremost, we are deeply saddened by the losses experienced over the past several weeks. The loss of just one horse is one too many. While we can’t prevent every injury, we can’t overemphasize that the health and welfare of the horses and jockeys is our top priority,” said Tim Ritvo, Chief Operating Officer, The Stronach Group, the owners of Santa Anita Park. “The track will be closed for live racing and training until our outside experts confirm the soundness of the track and let us know that it is safe to resume racing.” Inspections of the track will include the utilization of an Orono Biomechanical Surface Tester, a device that mimics the impacts of a horse running at full gallop allowing engineers to see how the track holds up. These test results will be evaluated to ensure track consistency and uniformity for both training and racing. “While we are confident further testing will confirm the soundness of the track, the decision to close is the right thing to do at this time,” stated Ritvo. ATTENTION HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS: Canceled events include the $600,000 Grade I Santa Anita Handicap, and $500,000 San Felipe Stakes, which sets up horses for the Kentucky Derby. Horses will remain stabled at Santa Anita and Annually, the Sierra Madre Rose Float Association is proud to award a the track will be opened to the public for simulcasts. scholarship to a qualified college-bound student who meets the following Further, The Stronach Group will be conducting a comprehensive evaluation of all existing safety qualifications: measures and current protocols. 1. Applicants must currently be a student in their senior year of high school or be a SIERRA MADRE SAILOR SERVES IN SOUTH CHINA SEA college freshman with a minimum GPA of 3.0. 2. Applicants must have been active in one or more Sierra Madre Rose Float activity such as fundraising, design, construction, decorating or as a past or present float rider. Application and Reference Forms Are at- tached and can be Downloaded from the SMRoseFloat.org website All forms must be postmarked or sent by E-mail to [email protected] NO LATER than April 12, 2019 U.S. Navy Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Chris Malicek, right, from Sierra Madre, Califor- nia, trains Logistics Specialist Seaman Bailey Stephenson, from Firestone, Colorado, on how to operate a crane in the hangar bay aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in the South China Sea, March 2, 2019. The John C. Stennis is deployed in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jarrod A. Schad) Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: [email protected] Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com 2 Mountain View News Saturday, March 9, 2019 COMMUNITY CALENDAR Weather Wise 6-Day Forecast Sierra Madre, Ca. Sun Rain Hi 60s Lows 50s Mon: Rain Hi 60s Lows 50s Tues: Ptly Cldy Hi 60s Lows 50s Wed: Sunny Hi 60s Lows 50s Thur: Sunny Hi 70s Lows 50s Fri: Sunny Hi 70s Lows 50s Forecasts courtesy of the National Weather Service SIERRA MADRE CITY MEETINGS CALENDAR Unless otherwise noted, all meetings listed below are held at City Hall 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. Sierra Madre, Ca. 626-355-7135 CITY COUNCIL MARCH 12, 2019 AT 6:30PM MARCH 26, 2019 AT 6:30PM PLANNING COMMISSION MARCH 7TH, 2019 AT 7:00PM MARCH 21ST, 2019 AT 7:00PM COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSION MARCH 18TH, 2019 AT 6:30PM SENIOR COMMUNITY COMMISSION MARCH 7TH, 2019 AT 3:00PM LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MARCH 27TH, 2019 AT 7:00PM ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, AND NATURAL RESOURCE COMMISSION MARCH 20TH, 2019 AT 7:00 PM APRIL 17TH, 2019 AT 7:00 PM Can’t make it to the meeting, but still want to share your thoughts? You can mail or drop off a written statement to City Hall or email [email protected] before 30 the night of the meeting and your statement will be delivered to all the Council Members.Sierra Madre City Hall 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. Sierra Madre, CA 91024 (626) 355-7135 KIWANIS CLUB OF SIERRA MADRE 1630 AM EMERGENCY RADIO & Since 1927! Free on-air publicity for local events We meet every Tuesday at Noon 33 E Sierra Madre Blvd, Sierra Sierra Madre’s EMERGENCY radio station is now accepting scripts for Public Service Announcements (PSAs) about community events. Madre PSAs will be broadcast on the air at no charge. The station operates 24/7 and can be heard at 1630 on the AM dial. Any local non-profit or non-commercial organization can have their HAVE LUNCH WITH event information broadcast to the public on Sierra Madre Community Information Radio. The station covers the city of Sierra Madre, plus KIWANIS! surrounding areas of Pasadena, Arcadia, and Monrovia. Your event must: • Benefit a non-commercial or non-profit entity TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2019 • Be open to the public • Be of general interest to local citizens Lunch Begins at Noon and costs $10 - Just write a Public Service Announcement that describes your event and e-mail it to [email protected]. Programs begin at 12:30 and are free! FOR LUNCH RESERVATIONS PLEASE CALL: 626-688-2273 Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: [email protected] Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com 3 Mountain View News Saturday, March 9, 2019 KATIE Tse..........This and That WALKING SIERRA MADRE by Deanne Davis BRAIN FIZZLES EPISODE 2: TEACHING OCTOPI SIERRA HONEY COMPANY Has it been a fizzly week for you? It has “A bee is an exquisite chemist.” Royal Beekeeper to for me. Sometimes I Charles II have insomnia. It used “Bees underline the reality that we are more, not less, to upset me, but now dependent on nature’s services in a world of close I’ve come to a resigned to seven billion people.” Achim Steiner, UN Under- acceptance of it. Thank Secretary General God it doesn’t happen every night! I had chronic insomnia for a “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, while, and it’s a killer. That’s been the topic of then man would have only four years of life left. No more than one of my articles down through more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no the years. more animals, no more man.” Recently during a minor case of insomnia Albert Einstein This is one of those things that most of us seldom I started to imagine what it would be like to think about, that we need bees! I’m sure you’ve have an octopus as a pet. They’re supposed noticed that we have wonderful cactus plants here and to be one of the smartest, if not the smartest, there in Sierra Madre (take a look at them on North soft-bodied animals. Of course now that I’m Baldwin up close to the hills) that cover themselves in my 30’s I think I qualify as soft-bodied, as with blossoms which attract bees by the score. We are well. So depressing... always glad to see this happening. As these little guys Anyway, what would it be like to have a gather pollen and nectar for their own survival, they exterminated. Mark does collect wild swarms but his pet octopus? First off, I’d call him Nigel. Or pollinate crops such as apples, cranberries, melons hives contain only gentle bees.