The City of Sierra Madre Community Services Department and the Senior Community Commission are happy to announce that Joan Crow has been selected as the Older American of the Year for Sierra Madre. Joan Crow is a longtime resident of Sierra Madre and active member of the Sierra Madre Civic Club for more than 30 years serving as president from 1983-1984. In addition to her community support through Civic Club, Joan is a Eucharistic Minister at St. Rita’s Catholic Church and has served as the Chair for the St. Rita Women’s Retreat and St. Rita Feast Day. Joan is a faithful supporter of the Friends of the Library, Creative Arts Group, Sierra Madre Playhouse, and much, much more.

The Sierra Madre Police Department Participates with the Zero Tolerance Distracted Driving Enforcement Operation

Sierra Madre, CA. – As part of April’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month campaign, the Sierra Madre Police Department will be actively ticketing those texting or operating hand-held cell phones for the month of April. Drivers who break the law and place themselves and others in danger will be cited with no warnings. The current minimum ticket cost is $159, with subsequent tickets costing at least $279. In April 2012, over 57,000 tickets were written statewide for texting and hand-held cell use. There were nearly 450,000 convictions in 2012. Whether it’s a ticket or a crash, as the campaign theme states, “It’s Not Worth It!”

It's extremely rare to see a mountain lion, but recently residents of Sierra Madre have reported a rise in sightings.

Mountain lions are solitary animals that would rather not have contact with us if at all possible, but living close to the foothills and hiking through areas where mountain lions live; sightings of the big cats are on the rise. They prefer secluded areas where there's plenty of cover and abundant game, mainly deer and elk. In the absence of larger prey; they turn to smaller prey, such as, frogs, rabbits, raccoons, bats, rodents and pets (dogs and cats). Mountain lions hunt during the day and night, but are most active at sunrise and sunset.

If you see a mountain lion on or near the trail, immediately stop walking, biking or running. Back up slowly and carefully. Keep your eyes on the cat so he is aware you have seen him and you're ready to fight if necessary, but you should avoid direct eye contact. You want the cat to see you as a threat and not as prey. Do whatever you can to make yourself look bigger and show the cat you are a force to be reckoned with to intimidate him. Keep your voice calm and talk loudly to the cat.

The City Council will be holding a public hearing to consider changes to the development standards that apply to the construction and remodeling of single-family homes. The City Council meeting will be held on March 26, 2013 at 6:30 p.m., in the City Council Chambers at the Sierra Madre City Hall located at 232 West Sierra Madre Blvd. The meeting is open to the public and there will be opportunity to make comments. Information regarding the draft amendments is available on the Development Services page.

Some of the major proposed changes include:

Medical emergencies are almost always stressful for the patient and everyone in the patient’s household. The time to assemble important medical information is before the medical emergency occurs rather than during the actual medical crisis. Medical information assembled in a period of calm is likely to be more accurate and more thorough than information assembled in a moment of crisis.

The File of Life program enables Sierra Madre residents to compile important medical information into one complete packet and make it available to the local paramedics in case of a medical emergency. The information is stored in a plastic envelope in the resident’s refrigerator, and a decal on the resident’s front window alerts EMS personnel that the information is available on the premises.

File of Life Packets, made possible by the Senior Community Commission, can be obtained free of charge at the Hart Park House Senior Center or Sierra Madre Fire Department. Instructions for completing the packet will be provided upon pick up. For more information, please call the Hart Park House Senior Center at 626.355.7394.