Stephanie's BACK!!!

I was talking with James MacPherson of PasadenaNow.com the other day, and he was talking about possibly doing a live webcast of the DooDah Parade, and we were discussing announcers. I suggested it would be great if he could get Stephanie Edwards to do it. James told me that she is back on the Channel 5 broadcast this year. I hadn't heard anything about it, but KTLA's website confirms it!! I was so ticked a couple years back when they sent Stephanie to the corn field a la Billy Mumy, making her sit outside in the rain. She was a good sport through it all, even though, in my opinion, she was being treated very poorly and had every right to be upset about it. Then, they made it worse by eliminating her entirely. Now, I admit, part of my problem is that I really have never liked Michaela Pereira, but the real issue for me is more that Stephanie is a really nice lady, and a Tournament of Roses icon. She never deserved the treatment she received, and I have to say, had I been treated that way, I would have a very difficult time returning. But perhaps this is another indication of what a nice lady Stephanie is. For her sake, I hope it is more an indication that KTLA got so many complaints that they not only brought her back, but gave her a private apology that included both lots of zeros and a dollar sign. Part of the reason I'm a Stephanie fan is that in 2003, she was the Celebrity Luncheon speaker at the Sierra Madre Woman's Club, and she was very entertaining, pleasant, and had time for everyone. In the photo, she's with several SMWC past presidents, including Mary Kay Gifford (partially cut off at left), Lucile Flanders, Lillias Eubanks, Edwards, and Phyllis Harris. While we were talking I asked her about something, I don't recall what, and this TV celebrity did something I would never expect someone in her position to do, she gave me her phone number so I could call her directly to discuss it. What star does that? Also, I really like the (groaner) jokes she tells. Anyway, I'm glad to see she's back. How about you?

Why are you thankful?

I'm thankful for many reasons on this Thanksgiving day. Here are just a couple... I'm thankful that despite the nearly brush free hills behind us, we survived what is reported to be 1.5" or more of rain, with very little damage (I know those of you in the muddied Skyland area probably don't consider it little damage, but when I think of what might have been....). I'm thankful that my wife and son are with me and healthy. I'm thankful that the US picked a president that appears to be capable of handling the mess that the country is in, and of restoring our reputation. I'm thankful that the last president didn't make things any worse than he did (I know things don't look good, but when I think of what might have been...).

What are you thankful for? Please share with us in the comments section.

Mud update

I was out of the office most of the day, and didn't get around to see things, but people sent me stuff and posted, so here's an update. At 11:15am, a post was made to my blog that Mary had mud at 801 Skyland. At 4:17, I received an e-mail with two pictures from Mary Dotson, who lives up on Skyland and commented that the "City is doing a wonderful job of cleaning up. These Public Works guys are working hard – It was a mess!" At 4:59, the City downgraded to a Green Flag alert." Thanks Mary for the pics and the update. I've posted one of the pictures here, and you can view the other at http://www.sierramudre.info/. Actually, this picture here is much more dramatic at that site, where you can view it larger, and it's a little more obvious that the mud is flowing at a pretty decent rate of speed.

Looking good out there.

6:20am - I didn't go everywhere, but where I went, everything looks so good, I think it's safe to say we dodged a bullet. When I went to bed around 1am, it was raining pretty steady, and had been since shortly after midnight. Got up this am, and the clouds are pretty well breaking over the SGV, and the streets are clear. Went up Churchill, checked out Canyon Crest, Skyland, all clear. Went up Churchill to Brookside, all is well including Yucca Trail. Went up to Sunrise Hill, everything is clear as a bell. Camillo at Lotus Lane, looks good.

Status report, 12:05am 11/26/08

Just posted the following at SierraMudre.Info. If you want to view the pictures that I reference in the post, they're posted there.

11/26/08, 12:05am - Started out at the City Yard, where there were a couple hundred filled sand bags, and lots of empty ones there for folks who need them. Left and went up Woodland to Yucca Trail, everything is clear there. There was a small stream of water running down the gutter in the middle of Woodland, definite brown (dirt) tint to it, but it was nothing to worry about at that point. A lot of people have put up rail and post barricades across the front of their properties, lots of sand bags in place. CBS 2 has a van set up in the empty parking lot, great big lights illuminating the whole area. Would probably irritate me if I lived up there and not only couldn't park, but had to put up with the light. Left and went up Churchill, went around Canyon Crest, checked out Skyland and Orange, all looked good. Drove by the Mt. Wilson Trail entrance and Mt. Wilson Trail Road, closed as you can see in the picture, but the road was clean except for leaves. Drove up to One Carter, everything looks clear and clean. At the gate at the top of Baldwin, I held my camera up over the gate and took a picture of the sandbags holding the plastic in place at the driveway entrance. Went up Auburn and around behind the debris basin, looking down from the Maddox driveway. Everything looks good all around. Of course, if this storm is the one they were predicting, and it just hit us later than expected, then we've got a long night of rain ahead of us, and that could all change in an instant. Stay safe, folks.

It's Raining, It's Pouring

The rain started coming down just a little after 8pm. It's about 10:30 now. I'm going to head out and drive to a couple of the areas that are of concern, just to see how things are holding up, maybe talk to some of the City people monitoring things to see what I can learn. Not sure how far the police will let me go, though I haven't received notice of any closed streets or anything. Just checked the city's emergency blog http://sierramadrepio.blogspot.com/ and there's nothing new since they posted the yellow flag alert around 9:30 this am. The actual City website (not the blog) has a new look, with the yellow flag prominently posted, and three new links just underneath it, one to the blog, one to weather info, and one to mud safety info, which until now they had been calling Emergency and Public Safety Info. Like the new name better, it is more to the point. I do not have access to Channel 3, we have DirecTV. However, I do know that based on lessons learned from the fire, the City now has citizen volunteers to contact to update Channel 3 since City staff will most likely be too busy to do so.

When I get back, I'll post an update here and at www.SierraMudre.Info. Please feel free to post updates, but only if they are accurate. Wrong information has the potential to be extremely harmful. A word of warning: If something is posted on this site by someone other than me, it has not necessarily been verified. Anything that I observe myself, and/or have verified with people either from the City or who I know are reliable sources, I will post at SierraMudre.Info and/or http://www.sierramadrenews.net/. I'll post it here, too, but this site will be the second or third place I post things.

Dreier Re-elected to Chair California GOP Delegation

Just received this press release from Congressman Dreier's office... Photo at left from the 2008 Memorial Day Service at Pioneer Cemetary, photo by Bill Coburn

Congressman David Dreier (R-San Dimas, CA) was unanimously reelected by his colleagues today to continue serving as Chairman of the California Congressional Delegation in the 111th Congress. Dreier said he will continue to advocate for California’s needs in Congress and looks forward to working with his Democratic colleagues as well. He identified the economy as the top issue confronting the incoming Congress.

“A strong economy in California is vital to the economic health of the entire nation, and California’s Republicans will be fighting hard to ensure we get our economy back on track,” Dreier said. “We look forward to working with our Democratic colleagues in a bipartisan way to see that California’s needs are met and best interests are served in the new Congress. Whether it’s immigration, water management, or combating fires and their aftermath, we can and will work together to help the people of California through these tough times.” (End of press release)

Will be interesting to see if, with a Democratic president and a Democratic controlled house, he really does work "with our Democratic colleagues in a bipartisan way," or if he continues to vote along party lines 94.1% of the time as he did in the past (as reported by the Washington Post).

Spotlight on Sierra Madre Volunteers

Spotlight on Sierra Madre Volunteers is a new weekly column that will spotlight the people who donate their time to help keep their city ticking. Check back each week to see which of the folks you work side by side with is being recognized in the latest edition.
Photo by Bill Coburn

"Sierra Madre is unique. My impression is that Sierra Madre has more volunteers per capita than anywhere else." -- De Alcorn

Treasures of Sierra Madre
by Jan Reed

Two Sierra Madreans, who spent several years sailing in their 30-ft. boat around the orb called the world, have become landlubbers, settling into life in Sierra Madre as ubiquitous volunteers. De and Pat Alcorn have put down roots.

De Alcorn was recently appointed "Secretary of Service and Volunteering" by the Sierra Madre City Council. What exactly does that entail? "I'll facilitate volunteers from the City government, recruiting and overseeing the assistance for them, working with City department heads for their volunteers and interns," De explained.

Sounds like a big order? Not for De, who is a graduate of Caltech and Pepperdine, worked at JPL for 35 years in management and as an engineer in space crafts.

Pat is a graduate of Cal Poly Pomona and has her Masters from USC, working as a medical social worker at Queen of the Valley Hospital for 10 years.

Together their volunteer "careers" are formidable. De was on the Search and Rescue Team for years and Pat continues to help Civic Club. They work local election boards, Friends of the Library, Creative Arts Group, the Wistaria Vine Celebration. And that's the short list. De is also a member of Kiwanis Club.

The Alcorns attend almost all Commission and Council meetings. It's no wonder they are called "Mr. and Mrs. Public."

They have two sons, Alan and Mark, six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren with one of the way. And they still have time for all of the volunteering. The Alcorns are truly role models for Sierra Madreans in their retirement years.

New site

www.SierraMudre.info

City Debris Flow Preparation Slideshow

I've posted on my Sierra Madre News Net website the Public Works Department's most recent (updated 11/6/08) PowerPoint slideshow that details the City's preparations for the anticipated debris flow. Because PowerPoint is Microsoft, you'll want to view it in Internet Explore (Mozilla Firefox shows the information, but everything is smaller, pictures are out of position, etc.). The presentation is chock full of information about the current status of Sierra Madre's hillsides, anticipated mud/debris flow, what the City and County are doing in preparation, and what you should do to prepare. It also includes maps of the evacuation areas that have been drawn up by the city, and online resources you can access if your electricity and web access are still functional.

On a beautiful sunny day like this, it might seem easy to decide to put off worrying about rain and mud, but it's days like these that are exactly the right time to plan ahead and put in place the necessary measures so that when it does rain, you aren't scrambling around trying to figure everything out.

Are you ready?

Disaster Preparedness

Over at the Crime Scene Blog, Frank Girardot has posted a link to SGVN's recent Disaster Awareness Guide publication. It's kind of a long download, at 14mb, but definitely worth the wait, as it is filled with all kinds of information about preparation for fire, quakes, floods and terrorism. It goes into far more detail in getting ready than anything I've seen. It also has lots of links to websites where you can get more information, though some of them don't seem to work. I tried to go to earthquakeauthority.com, and the link wasn't working. Socalready.com did load, and is very much like a website version of the disaster guide, but with links to a family communication plan download and a medical records plan download. The family communication plan download told me the file was damaged, but hopefully by the time you get there, that will be fixed. There's also a page dedicated to "The Plan Ahead Handbook" that can be purchased that sounds like a very valuable tool in an emergency.

There will be a Fire Expo on Nov. 15th, from 11am - 2pm, free of charge, at Fire Station 110, located at 17056 Gale Ave. in the City of Industry that Sierra Madreans should consider attending. The theme is "Helping You Prepare Against A Wildland Fire." After the destruction of the last few days, I hope we all realize how fortunate we are that there wasn't a single structure lost in April, and proper preparation might help us maintain that fortunate streak through the next fire.

Topics covered at the Expo include:
5 steps to help you get ready
1. Understand your vulnerability
2. Prepare your land
3. Prepare your home
4. Prepare your Wildfire Action Plan
5. Prepare your Evacuation Plan – leave when asked

LAST RESORT
Prepare for your survival
Vendors* will be on hand to provide information, products, and/or demonstrations
• Emergency supplies
• Personal protective equipment
• Fire suppression systems

PRESENTATIONS INCLUDE
• Fire Department Operations
• Vegetation Management
• Building Standards

While I'm on the subject of fires, a shout out is due to Mike Kinney and Caroline Brown of Sierra Madre's Fire Safety Council, who are working tirelessly to prepare our community for the next fire.

One thing that Sierra Madreans need to consider as we move forward is that these fires, while not touching Sierra Madre, will have a potentially devastating impact on our town. Our Public Works Dept., when fully staffed (and last time I checked, it wasn't) has only 12 employees. During an emergency, they go on 12-hour shifts, meaning a maximum of six employees at a time. We are working closely with and will receive help from LA County Public Works, but their staff will be spread out throughout LA County, and with all the new scorched earth that will be rolling down hillsides during this winter's rains, they will be spread much thinner after the events of the last few days. So it's even more critical that we, as a community, maximize our efforts to prepare.

Public Works Director Bruce Inman has now provided me with the City's latest Powerpoint presentation regarding the City's preparation, which has been used at three townhall meetings to help inform Sierra Madreans. The version I have is the most recent version, dated Nov. 6th. I will have it posted at my Sierra Madre News Net website within 24 hours.

Are you ready?

Police Chief Diaz Discusses (sort of) Lawsuit, Vote of No Confidence

I've just posted a new edition of "Catching Up With..." on my SierraMadreNews.Net website. Catching Up With... is an occasional interview column where I chat and/or carry on an e-mail dialogue with people that I think might hold an interest for News Net readers. This edition of the column includes a telephone interview I conducted with Sierra Madre Police Chief Marilyn Diaz.
Catching Up With…Sierra Madre Police Chief Marilyn Diaz

Recently, the Sierra Madre Police Dept. has been the subject of news articles, relating to lawsuits filed against the Chief and the City by the Sierra Madre Police Officers’ Association (POA), and a Vote of No Confidence announced by the POA. After I read about the lawsuits being announced in the Sierra Madre Weekly, I contacted SMPD Chief Marilyn Diaz, and requested to talk with her about them. The Chief was out of town, but upon her return, she said she’d be willing to discuss them with me. In the interim, the Star News story about the Vote of No Confidence was published. Chief Diaz and I were finally able to connect by phone on Saturday, Nov. 8th, and that conversation is excerpted here as this edition of “Catching Up With…”

SMNN: It has been suggested to me that what we have here is you trying to hold people accountable, and them not liking it.
Chief: I think that…in any organization when you try to bring about changes some people have a harder time adjusting to the changes, and they aren’t comfortable with the challenges associated with providing upgraded services to the community.

Read the rest of the interview here...but remember to come back and post your thoughts after you've read it...

Car company bailout?

There's been a lot of talk the last few days about the danger to the US economy if the big 3 automakers continue on their downward trend and go under. A lot of people are calling for a bailout, which would cost at the minimum tens of billions of dollars. In today's NY Times, Thomas Friedman writes about the crisis, noting that automakers have turned their back on innovation in order to continue producing gas guzzlers. He suggests that the best course of action would be to follow the proposals made in the Wall Street Journal by Paul Ingrassia, a former Detroit bureau chief for that paper.

“In return for any direct government aid,” Ingrassia wrote, “the board and the management [of G.M.] should go. Shareholders should lose their paltry remaining equity. And a government-appointed receiver — someone hard-nosed and nonpolitical — should have broad power to revamp G.M. with a viable business plan and return it to a private operation as soon as possible. That will mean tearing up existing contracts with unions, dealers and suppliers, closing some operations and selling others and downsizing the company ... Giving G.M. a blank check — which the company and the United Auto Workers union badly want, and which Washington will be tempted to grant — would be an enormous mistake.”

Friedman suggests that a call be made to Steve Jobs, asking him to take over a car company for a year, which he thinks will be enough time for Jobs to come up with an I-car.

I don't think it's a good idea to let the car companies go under, but I hate the idea that the feds would spend as much as it takes to bail them out. I kind of like the idea of seeing what Jobs could do in creating an I-car. What do you think?

A day to remember our veterans...

At the VFW Post 3208 Veteran's Day Memorial Service on Sunday, two American heroes spoke. Bill Newbery (bottom photo) spoke about his WWII service, which earned him numerous decorations and awards. Along with his other service, Bill was at the Battle of the Bulge. Gordon Caldwell (top photo) was aboard the USS Saratoga when it withstood 7 bombs and 5 kamikaze hits. These are just two of many WWII veterans from Sierra Madre. We all owe them a tremendous debt that can never be re-paid. Do you know someone that served in the armed forces that you want to honor today? Post a comment to remember someone you know that has served our country, whether it be WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Afghanistan, or Iraq II. But don't stop there. Veterans that served in peacetime should be remembered as well. As Mayor Kurt Zimmerman said in his speech Sunday, "we can honor those that rendered the greatest service to our nation. I speak of the men and the women who fell in battle, but I also speak of the men and the women who were prepared to fall in battle." So honor your special veteran by saying a few words, or telling their story, or your own. Thank you to all veterans, your service is greatly appreciated. More photos and text coverage of the service including the entire text of Mr. Caldwell's speech is available at http://www.sierramadrenews.net/, with more to come. You'll also find video of Mayor Zimmerman's speech there.

How Sierra Madre Voted

Click here for the complete breakdown of how Sierra Madre voted in Tuesday's election, but here are a few results that I thought people might be interested in...Sierra Madreans voted for President-elect Barack Obama over Senator John McCain by roughly a 3 to 2 margin, 3,053 to 2,185. Ralph Nader picked up 53 votes from our village, and Bob Barr, Alan Keyes and Cynthia McKinney also all got some support from Sierra Madre voters. Sierra Madreans went strongly against the state trend on Prop 8, voting 3,040 against taking the right to marry away from gays, vs. 2,256 Sierra Madreans voting to ban gay marriage. Alternative Energy Measure 7 was shot down by a nearly 3 to 1 margin in Sierra Madre, 3,772 to 1,283. Republican House Representative David Dreier edged out Democrat Russ Warner, 2,408 to 2,332. Libertarian Ted Brown may have been the difference, as he drew 291 Sierra Madre votes. Similarly, Libertarian Maureen Keedy drew 414 votes away from the leaders in the 59th Assembly seat race, where incumbent Anthony Adams was edged out (Sierra Madre votewise) 2,179 to 2,268 for D.E. Williamson. And while 74.5% of the general electorate voted to repair/improve PUSD schools, Sierra Madre wasn't quite so generous...voting 63% to 37% to approve Measure TT.

SMPOA Votes No Confidence in Chief Diaz

Alfred Lee over at the Star News reports that the Sierra Madre Police Officers Association (SMPOA) has taken a vote of no confidence in Police Chief Marilyn Diaz. According to Lee, the officers cited a lack of leadership and invasions of privacy. The SMPOA recently filed lawsuits against the Chief and the City citing the same issues.

Lee quotes Mayor Kurt Zimmerman as saying "I can only speak for myself as the mayor. I will tell you that yes, I support Chief Diaz."

Under Diaz, crime in Sierra Madre is down, and arrests are up. But the members of the department are obviously unhappy with her as their chief. What should the City do? Get rid of a chief that has done what she was hired to do, but who makes the staff unhappy? Or let her go, and bring in someone who may or may not be able to do the job as well, and may or may not make the staff happy?

We have contacted Chief Diaz for comment, and will update this article after we've had a chance to speak with her.

Governor Says Cut School Spending, Increase Taxes

According to an article by Rebecca Kimitch in the Pasadena Star News, Governor Schwarzenegger has called for slashing the K-12 budget by $2.5 billion, and increasing sales tax by 1.5% for three years, extending the tax to areas that are not currently taxed, such as amusement park tickets, greens fees and services such as auto repair. The education cuts would not be made by laying off teachers, because it is mid-year, and teacher contracts must be honored. So the cuts will be made in other areas.

Is education really where we want to make cuts?

While nobody wants to see taxes increased, the state has an $11.2 billion deficit that some say could double by 2010. Where is the state going to get the money? The Governor has called a special session of the legislature, reportedly to try and get some of the termed out politicos to help pass an unpopular tax cut. Assemblyman Anthony Adams and State Senator Bob Margett are both quoted in the article as being adamantly opposed to increasing the sales tax. Sen. Margett is one of the termed out politicians that the Governor is hoping will change his stance, but according to the article, the Governor has not contacted him.

If Measure R passes, sales tax in L.A. County will be 10-1/4% if the proposed increase is approved. One good thing for local retailers, the tax won't take effect until after the holidays, starting on Jan. 1st.

Are homeowners prepared?

A recent publication by the City in regards to the anticipated mud and debris flow from this winter's rains had the following statement:

"Homeowner Responsibility

As homeowner’s (sic), we all have the responsibility to protect our own property, and we cannot rely on the City to individually aid our homes during a rain event. What each of us does (or does not do) to protect our own property can affect not only ourselves, but our neighbors as well. We all need to take action and work together."

While I think it's odd that the City would phrase a statement as if it were a homeowner, (why doesn't it say "Homeowners have a responsibility to protect their own property and can't rely on the City..." it's obvious that the City's message is that it isn't responsible for damage to your property, and residents need to work together to protect their own homes, in a responsible manner that helps protect their neighbors as well.

Are you taking action to protect your property, and your neighbors? Are you concerned that a neighbor's action to protect his/her property may leave you more vulnerable? Let us know what you are doing.

Is Sierra Madre Ready for Seven?

I recently received the following as a press release, which I posted at www.SierraMadreNews.net:

Sierra Madre is Ready For 7 - The Winter months are sure to bring rainfall to Sierra Madre and City Hall is proactively preparing its residents for possible mudflow and mudslides challenges. As a part of the plan, the City recommends the following tips on how to prepare to care for your family and pets for up to seven days following an emergency. Click here for the City's tips...

There is nothing in the article that backs up the headline. The article is full of very useful information and suggestions as to how each of us can prepare for emergencies, including mudslides, and I recommend everyone read it and act upon the ideas appropriate for their situation. But I wonder, is Sierra Madre ready for seven? Are you ready for seven? Tell us how you have prepared for emergencies - be they mudslides, earthquakes, fire or terrorists.

Barack Obama elected President of the United States

"...Because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America." -- Barack Obama, Nov. 4, 2008

"Yes, we can heal this nation. Yes, we can seize our future. And as we leave this great state with a new wind at our backs and we take this journey across this great country, a country we love, with the message we carry from the plains of Iowa to the hills of New Hampshire, from the Nevada desert to the South Carolina coast, the same message we had when we were up and when we were down, that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we will hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubt and fear and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of the American people in three simple words -- yes, we can." -- Barack Obama after the South Carolina Primary, 2008

"I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, in that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible." Barack Obama, Democratic National Convention, 2004 Transcript of that speech

GET OUT AND VOTE TODAY!!

One of America's most precious (and perhaps underappreciated) freedoms is the right to vote. Be sure to get out and vote today. Even if your first opportunity is late, when results indicate a potential winner in the presidential race, there are still important local offices as well as county and state measures to vote on. If you're not sure of your polling place, you can use the link to the polling place locator found at the top of the home page at www.SierraMadreNews.Net. Just enter your address, it will tell you where to vote. Couldn't be much easier. Fair warning....the poll locator is located near a couple of my endorsements. Remember, VOTE!

2009 Sierra Madre Rose Float Princesses Named

Congratulations to the 2009 Sierra Madre Rose Float princesses named at last night's coronation dinner, Laurel Cipolla and Gail Gutierrez. And thanks to Hanna Lisa Storlie, Alexandra Flores, Tim Crilly and Andrew Pirrone for serving as Princesses and Princess Escorts for 2008. Read more about it at http://www.sierramadrenews.net/

Well, let's get started...

How'd everybody like Halloween? Congratulations to residents of East Alegria that have contributed so much over the years to turn this event into a major happening, especially the Switzers, Sutcliffes and Parkers. Congratulations to Sierra Madre School for their annual costume parade, a tradition that makes it fun to be downtown at 1pm on Halloween. Congratulations to the merchants, that have made Sierra Madre a fun place to trick or treat safely. Congratulations to Community and Personnel Services for Halloween Happenings, overseeing the window painting contest, the trick or treating, the costume parade and the costume contest. And congratulations and thanks to Kiwanis for their role in the costume contest, including donating the prizes. It was a fun day, all around. There are somewhere in the range of 400 photos/videos posted at www.sierramadrenews.net/halloween