WEEKLY NEWS FOR SIERRA MADRE AND NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES Friday, October 27- November 2, 2006 Volume 1, No.5 Council Approves The Pumpkin Supremacy Largest Public Works Project Ever including six robust beauties the block, they said. that weigh over 100 pounds “The neighbors across the Votes Down Emergency 2-30-13 Ordinance apiece. street from us had four kids and “I slowed way down,” said we had our kids plus the ones By Dean Lee said Zimmerman it,” said Mosca. “I’m Switzer. “After my son left and from down the street - it adds Councilmember not comfortable went back to Alabama a few up,” Switzer said. “There were The Sierra Don Watts was the reversing that many years ago, I just haven’t been a lot of kids around the area Madre City Council only other person years of policy.” able to keep it up. With the 35 back then.” voted unanimously to vote in favor of Mosca also talked the ordinance and about the lack of or so I have now it will take me He said both Monrovia and Tuesday in favor of the most expensive many residents said an Environmental until Halloween just to carve Hastings Ranch have events, public works project they thought this Impact Report (EIR) them all.” but those are too planned out in the city’s 100- was no big surprise. on the ordinance, Switzer said 10 years ago and controlled, so people like to year history with an The 3-2 vote was questioned where the he would, along with his son, come to Sierra Madre. estimated cost of 9.7 quickly becoming city would upzone the standard on if it downzoned carve out hundreds of pumpkins “I think people like the million. The projectdevelopment issues, downtown and and display them Halloween feeling here,” Grijalva said. “Its calls for the Mira they said. added there would be night. At times he said his son friendly. That’s it.” Monte reservoirs Zimmerman lawsuits. However, Kevin carved out pumpkins Switzer said that his neighbor and booster said he thought neither the proposed that weighed more than two three doors down from him pump stations to the city needed ordinance nor the the ordinance proposed initiative hundred pounds. One year normally grows large pumpkins be replaced and retrofitted to provide because developers have any provisions Kevin received the Sumo of all for Halloween, but because a seismically reliable were planning that would cause Squash, an 829-pound pumpkin of this year’s drought, he lost water system to the a high density the downtown to be to carve. the patch and had to resort city in the event of condominium downzoned. “I think another year we had to buying them along with an emergency. project for the While Councilman downtown area in Mosca was over 300 of them,” he said. “The everybody else. It was announced at the meeting the very near future. concerned that the funny thing is there have been a “I think this is a cult, they that the work will He also asked that council was moving few years I skipped and people trade pumpkin seeds like they be completed by the ordinance be too fast, earlier got mad. They would come up are sacred,” Switzer said. Spiess Construction amended to include this month, Mosca to the house demanding to know “You’ll hear them talk, ‘I’ll Company, Inc. all projects along the voted in favor of an Photo By Jacqueline Truong during Halloween. One year, a which successfully East Montecito area. amended Hillside where the pumpkins were.” WUDGH\RXWZRRIWKHVHIRU¿YH City Manager John Management Zone busload of tourists from China won the contract According to both Switzer and of your seeds.’ It must work after an open bid Gillison confirmed ordinance rushed By Dean Lee trundled through the town to Grijalva, the Alegria Avenue though because you should process. recent plans for a to beat the Nov. EHKROG WKH JUDYH\DUGV À\LQJ Halloween Extravaganza began see some of the pumpkins they development project 7 election date in There they were sitting in ghosts and bubbling cauldrons in 1971. Everyone had kids on grow.” Emergency in the downtown fear of a passing front of BeanTown, Bud Switzer that decorated front lawns Ordinance and said that Proposition 90. building plans had The emergency and John Grijalva, legends in gauzy with spider webs. The most contentious item been submitted but ordinance was the city of Sierra Madre when “I’ve had family that said they on the agenda, had been rejected put forth with the it comes to Halloween, having turned around after seeing the however, was by the Planning same reasoning carved thousands of pumpkins WUDI¿F MXVW WR JHW XS WKH KLOO´ Council member Commission. behind passing an over the years and displaying Grijalva said. “I’ve heard it Kurt Zimmerman’s “As we have found HMZ ordinance, out this evening something which them all along Switzer’s backs up at Foothill.” effort to provide Sierra Madre with an there was a plan the council passed. driveway on Alegria Avenue. Switzer added that the freeway urgency ordinance for a multi-story The council Switzer himself said he is can back up for miles. “My son prohibiting building with a chamber was single-handedly responsible said it could take him hours just development in the density of higher packed with for the chaos that surrounds to get up the hill,” he said. “If Downtown Overlay than 55 units per Downtown Specific acre,” Zimmerman Plan supporters that the estimated 10,000 people you don’t get here early you’re Zone in excess of the existing general plan said. broke out in a cheer that come to the city every year not going to make it up the provisions. “What I Council Member after the vote. Webb during Halloween. So many so, hill.” see this as, is a stop Joe Mosca said Martin realtor Carol that City Manager John Gillison Switzer sat sipping on his gap measure until that he thought Canterbury, smiled said the city now needs “event coffee then explained that he the Downtown the council was saying “Now that’s moving too fast. the way they should planning” since the population had just gotten a new shipment Specific Plan either passes or the people “To move forward vote.” swells to almost twice normal of pumpkins to carve this year, vote on 2-30-13.” would be rushing Shirley Meets McScary Bradbury Terry Bing Memorial Saturday Oct. 28 Details Page 3 Photos by Gloria Prins Harvest Festival This Edition Hosts 1,000 at St. Rita’s 1 Pumpkin An evening of fun for children and adults at St. Rita’s Annual Supremacy Harvest Festival last Saturday raised at least $50,000, according to PTO Board Member Andrea Bertollini. The Football Toss was still crowded past 11 p.m. and at that late Citizens hour, people were still carrying out pots of lavender, sage and roses 2 Datebook from the Garden Shop sponsored by Norman’s Nursery. Other donors included Paulina’s Catering, Gordon Biersch Restaurant & Ron Cooper Brewery, Chiquita Bonita, T-Burgers, Savor the Flavor, Starbucks, 3 Photo By Nard Kardell and Cycling Fremont Theater in South episode of Rod Serling’s The Bottle Shop, the Ellis Family and the church’s Women’s Guild By Shirley Moore and Men’s Club. Pasadena (and possibly Twilight Zone, although an 4 1,000 Cranes Master storyteller Ray extending through entirely different sensual Bradbury’s favorite season November 19; please call experience when viewed is upon us, and with the theater for confirmation) live. The story unfolds on 5 Something advent of autumn come the are two short plays adapted a man whose uncertain New: reminders of this season of from stories written by mortal state drives him Videophones transitions: piles of cast-off Mr. Bradbury, directed by to lethal determination of crackling leaves, ripening longtime Bradbury artistic his function in a futuristic 6 Trick or pumpkins, darkening associate Alan Neal Hubbs world where death and Treat? days and the whisper of a (the first to produce a stage dying are denied their adaptation of “The Martian proper due. chill in the air and down Bird’s Eye the spine—the best time Chronicles” in 1970), and “Touched with Fire” 7 produced by Bradbury and (world premiere) revolves View with of year to stage a Ray Pat Birdsall Bradbury piece. Running Mindy Brandt. around the efforts of two through November 5 at the “Pillar of Fire” is retired insurance salesmen Mr. reminiscent of a satisfying (continued on page 5) 8 Youngblood Mt. Wilson Observer - A 'HX[DPLV3XEOLFDWLRQ:6LHUUD0DGUH%OYG6LHUUD0DGUH&D2I¿FH)D[www.mtwilsonobserver.com 2 THE MT. WILSON OBSERVER | October 27- November 2, 2006 Weather Wise Warnings Wise 5-Day Forecast for Sierra Madre, Ca. Do you know exactly what your weather person means when they use the following terms?: Longitude W118.0, Lattitude N34.2 Wind Advisory: 0($167+$7 :,1'6 2) 72 03+$1'25 )5(48(17 :,1' FALL BACK - DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS THIS WEEKEND *86762)03+25*5($7(5$5((;3(&7(':,1'67+,667521*&$10$.( '5,9,1*',)),&8/7(63(&,$//<)25+,*+352),/(9(+,&/(6 Friday: Mostly 6XQQ\+LVV/RZVV:LQG\ High Wind Warning: 0($16$+$=$5'286+,*+:,1'(9(17,6(;3(&7('25 Saturday: 0RVWO\6XQQ\+LVV/RZVV 2&&855,1*6867$,1(':,1'63(('62)$7/($6703+25*86762)03+ Sunday: 0RVWO\6XQQ\+LVV/RZVV 25025(&$1/($'723523(57<'$0$*( Monday:3DUWO\&ORXG\+LVV/RZVV Tuesday: 3DUWO\&ORXG\+LVV/RZVV Red Flag Warning: 0($167+$7&5,7,&$/),5(:($7+(5&21',7,216$5((,7+(5 Forecasts courtesy of the National Weather Service 2&&855,1* 12:25 :,// 6+257/< 7+( &20%,1$7,21 2) /2: 5(/$7,9( +80,',7< $1' :$50(5 7(03(5$785(6 :,// &5($7( 5$3,' ),5( *52:7+ POTENTIAL.