WHERE YOUR COMMUNITY NEWS COMES FIRST Friday, May 25 - May 31, 2007 Volume 2, No.21 “WHAT IF JIMI HENDRIX PLAYED THE VIOLIN?” Senior Master Plan Committee Honored 16 Year Old Virtuoso plays Sierra Madre Upper Campus By Susan Henderson and Helen Pontarelli Performance - Today Friday, May 25th at 1:00 P.M. opportunities that come from music education. “It is important to me to keep developing as an artist and that is why I have been so supportive of keeping music in the schools. Over the past year I have had the opportunity to visit schools across the nation to work with instructors and their students to help cultivate an interest in music.” Pontarelli is a classically trained musician who has been involved in numerous music education programs. Pictured above: Mayor Joffe and committee members Karl Tiegler, Nancy He started playing violin when he Walsh, Eph Konigsberg, Elisa Weaver, Rosemary Garcia, Michelle Keith, Lisa was four and won his fi rst violin Spigai-Perez Dr. Nieby, and Bruce Inman. Not pictured are Colleen McKernan, competition when he was seven. He Jan Reed, Bonnie Garner, Rose Farfach, Ruth Tiegler, Loyal Comacho, George has served as the Concert Master of Maurer, and Karin Delman the San Diego Youth Symphonic Orchestra. He has performed Jazz, classical and rock violin in concerts Council Rejects E. Montecito Project with many Grammy and Emmy Photos and Story by Susan Henderson winners including Mark O’Connor, David Benoit, Richie Cole (Manhattan In the fi rst lengthy council meeting Plan Committee. Following reports on Transfer), Marshall Hawkins (Miles since taking offi ce, Mayor Enid Joff ee activities from the council, the fl oor was Children and guests will have the Davis), Mark Wood (Trans – Siberian managed to get through what turned out opened for public comment. Many of opportunity to hear an amazing Orchestra) and Jethro Tull. As a to be a very long agenda. the speakers for the evening spoke about performance by Antonio Pontarelli, recording artists he has contributed Th e meeting began with Chief Marilyn their concern that Measure V would not an award winning singer/songwriter/ to several albums including albums Diaz presenting Offi cer Henry Amos the be enforced. Th ere were also numerous rock violinist with an impressive by Grammy winner Peter White and Mothers Against Drunk Driving DUI speakers who took Councilman Joe resume of performances and Serj Tankian former lead singer of Award for the diligence in which he Mosca to task for the role he plays on collaborations. Th e event will take “System of a Down”. When Pontarelli pursues drunk drivers. the Southern California Association of place today at 1:00 at the Sierra was 13 years old, he won the NBC Th e council then went on to recognize Government’s boards. Resident John Madre Upper Campus. Antonio’s “Tournament of Champions” on the 21 members of the Senior Master Crawford questioned whether (cont. pg 3) grandmother, Helen Pontarelli “America’s Most Talented Kids”. teaches sixth grade at the school and Pontarelli has been recognized by OFFICER AMOS GETS Water Restriction Enforcement bubbles with pride and enthusiasm ASTA (American String Teachers To Start - Page 4 when she speaks of her grandson, Association) as the top Alternative MADD (AWARD) “He’s been playing since he was 4 Styles violinist in the nation winning years old.” Graduating this month 2 year awards for 2004-2005 and PUBLIC NOTICE from the Julian Classical Academy in 2006-2007. Escondido, Antonio will enter USC’s Volunteers Wanted Gather Signatures for Th ornton School of Music in the fall. To fi nd out more about this amazing By visiting Sierra Madre Middle Equitable Police Salary Initiative young man, visit his website at www. Th is is not a tax, it would be a budget item School, Pontarelli hopes that he can antoniomusic.com. inform the students of the many May 26 & 27 Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. Sundays at 9 a.m. Meet at Sierra Juice Company, across from Kersting Court. Memorial Day Activities from John Grijalva Questions: Call Offi cer Hasmick Hartunian (626) 824-1353 On Memorial Day, Monday, May 28th, 2007 there are two INSIDE THIS WEEK diff erent activities planned to honor our local veterans. 1st Pioneer Cemetery hosted 1 Memorial Day by the VFW. Ceremonies Activities begin at 11:00 am. Following the ceremonies, sandwiches 2 Weekly Highlights and drinks will be served at the Hart Park House in Memorial Park at 12:30 pm. 3 Kyle McClure On 2nd activities are planned at Incandescence the Veteran Photo wall in Water Conservation Memorial Park. Sandwiches 4 Ordinance and drinks will be served at 2:00 pm. In the Hart Park Chief Marilyn Diaz presented Offi cer OBSERVER House and Ceremonies will Henry Amos the Mothers Against Drunk 5 PASADENA begin at 3:00 pm. Driving DUI Award. Offi cer Amos made Photo by Patricia Carpenter 14 arrests in a six month period. 6 Opinion Persson’s Nursery Facing Extinction 7 Letters To The in a Land of Green By Dean Lee Editor In a city that prides itself “green,” last aft er we’re gone June 30,” General 8 ED thing anyone would think Pasadena Manager Gary Butter’s said as he would want to do is get rid of a business interrupted himself a number of Peter Dills that’s sole propose is producing over times helping customers. “It’s not that 9 Table For Two 100,000 varieties of trees, plants and we are giving up. Th at’s the last thing other shrubs. Especially to make way we are doing and we will continue 10 TechKnowledge for paved parking lots and storage fi ghting Edison. Th is is clearly what Fire Resistant Plants facilities. However, this is exactly the residents around here want.” the fi ght Persson’s Nursery said they What started out as a small clash, with 11 Bird’s Eye View faced taking on power giant Southern Edison aft er circulating a petition last One Of A Kind California Edison. year to save (Cont. Page 5) “I don’t think the city understands Persson’s staff (l. to r.) Jazz Marie, Mary and 12 Lancer Volleyball the full impact of what will happen Alicia Mt. Wilson Observer - A Deuxamis Publication 280 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. #327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Offi ce: 626-355-2737 Fax: 626-604-4548 www.mtwilsonobserver.com THE MT. WILSON OBSERVER | May 25 - May 31, 2007 2 Friday, May 25 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS Pasta Dinners $6.75 – Farmer’s Market Carbo Load for Every Saturday to 12:30 p.m. Weather Wise Mt. Wilson Trail Race B-B-Berries. Lili’s herbs, honey, By Café 322 menudo & tamale stand. Bring the 5-Day Forecast for Sierra Madre, Ca. Percentage to benefi t kiddies. PHS parking lot Longitude W118.0, Lattitude N34.2 Sierra Madre Search & 2925 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. Rescue Team Friday: Sunny Hi 80s Lows 50s - 60s Café 322 Saturday: Sunny Hi 80s Lows 50s - 60s Sunday: Sunny Hi 80s Lows 50s - 60s Saturday, May 26 at Sunday Nights Monday: Sunny Hi 70s Lows 50s - 60s 7:30 a.m. Let’s Sing Opera & Broadway Tuesday: Sunny Hi 70s Lows 50s - 60s Mt. Wilson Trail Race Pianist Danny Guerrero & Friends Forecasts courtesy of the National Weather Service Finish Line 10:30 a.m. 322 Sierra Madre Blvd. Run – or view the runners Sierra Madre (626) 836-5414 from Beantown, Starbucks Beantown or Casa del Rey 45 N. Baldwin Time for Ice Cream (626) 355-1596 Kiwanis Club Grants Th e Sierra Madre Kiwanis Lucky Baldwin’s Club off ers 21 Kersting Court cash grants to students (626) 355-1140 and schools. Mary’s Market Paul Magaris Community 561 Woodland Drive Service Grants can be (626) 355-4534 applied for by any local student or school. Up Th e Harvey Hyde Show to $300 per student or Every Sunday 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. $500 per school may be Hard-hitting, high impact sports talk radio awarded to applicants KSHP Las Vegas - 1400 AM who can show that a grant would benefi t their Live! from BURGER CONTINENTAL education or provide a 535 South Lake Avenue Pasadena benefi t to the community. Grants are awarded twice SUMMER READING FUN AT SIERRA MADRE LIBRARY each year: in November and in May. “Get a Clue,” the Summer Reading receive prizes for every two books they Any individual, school, or Club at the Sierra Madre Public complete. All participants will receive organization who wishes Library, will start Monday, June 18 a Certifi cate of Completion at the to apply for a grant should and run eight weeks, through Saturday, conclusion of the program. contact Kiwanis Club August 11. Children of all ages from all Volunteers going into grades 7 and up Present Hank Landsberg communities are invited to join this free are needed to help with the Summer via e-mail: activity. Sign-ups will be in the Library’s Reading Club. Th is is an opportunity to [email protected]. Children’s Room starting June 18. earn community service points, work on Th ere is a division for non-readers a scouting badge, make new friends, and Th e deadline to apply is and a division for school-aged readers learn about the Library. Applications May 31, 2007 entering grades 1 through 6. Learners are available now at the Library. entering grades 2 through 6 are Th e Friends of the Sierra Madre Library encouraged to join the more rigorous sponsor the Summer Reading Club, “Challenger’s Division.” Readers will and the Sierra Madre Kiwanis Club is BiblioFile receive prizes along the way based on sponsoring this year’s Challenger Sleuth with Jeff Brown the number of hours they commit to Division.