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By Bill Peters
Defending Champion Wins Amgen Tour of California for Third Consecutive Year
half hour event. Adding to the colorful scene were floral tributes donated by five local florists, a jazz guitarist and a magician. Community members and friends strolled through the downstairs rooms of the estate attracted to tables set up by food providers serving small samples of items that
are found on their menus. Though small portions were served, by the time nibblers found the last table pretty close to a full meal could be consumed in an array of types and styles of food ranging from barbeque ribs to ziti. Likewise, the winery tables offered both red and white wine allowing attendees a chance to taste a variety of wines.
An anteroom was designated for silent auction items, all donated by 49 local businesses and citizens. The bidding was active with, in many cases, friends taunting each other by slyly over-bidding. Wide choices were available that included art works, event tickets, dining opportunities and health items. Jazz guitarist Eric Byak
found a comfortable corner in the main room to provide lively background music. Will Chandler, a Magic Castle Magician who resides in Sunnyvale, Ca., spread cards out on a table covered in black velvet inviting guests to “pick a card”, then teased them with his sparkling patter and sleight of hand talents. Library on 12
Shooting Raises Questions of Pasadena Police Procedures
Two Million Fans Across California Turned Out to Watch After nine challenging and epic days of cycling through more than 750-miles of scenic California roads, and a thrilling fight to the finish, Levi Leipheimer (USA) of A st a na wa s crow ned champion of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California, solidifying a three-peat for the California resident. With a week-long total time of 31 hours, 28 minutes and 21 seconds, Leipheimer accepted the highly coveted title of race champion in front of massive cheering crowds in Escondido, which brought the race total to 2 million fans along the race route from Sacramento to Escondido. In a nine-day battle against the best field -Photo By Terry Miller
Ameka Edwards is consoled by a friend as tears run down her face outside Pasadena PD Monday. Edwards was the driver of the -Photo By Terry Miller car in which Leroy Barnes was shot 11 times by Pasadena Police last Thursday afternoon.
Residents, ACLU Call for Independent Investigation Citizens March on City Hall Demanding Answers By Terry Miller
On Thursday February 19, at approximately 4:20 p.m., a Pasadena police unit with two officers pulled over a vehicle on Mentone just south of Washington in Northwest
Pasadena. What exactly happened for the duration of that traffic stop and the events that unfolded shortly thereafter remain in question, shrouded in mystery and police silence due
to the ongoing investigation. Initially, eyewitness accounts said Barnes was shot at least 7 times, despite being unarmed. But Pasadena police say otherwise. One witness,
Brandon Gardner, 24, claims he saw the whole thing and was adamant that Barnes did not fire any kind of weapon which the police initially alShooting on 18
Debunking the “Los Angeles Sprawl” Myth By Sir Eric Maundry
Pasadena was the site of Stage Seven where fans witnessed Lance Armstrong,left and Levi Leipheimer race side by side.
Amgen on 16
News, Arts, Opinions and Community Events Since 1996
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 4, 2009 VOLUME 14, NO. 9
LIBRARY FUNDRAISER A GREAT SUCCESS The Friends of Sierra Madre Library indeed have a lot of friends judging by the large attendance at the 39th annual Wine and Cuisine Tasting event at Alverno Villa Friday night. A crowd approaching the 400 mark dined on food served up by 23 local restaurants, caterers and grocers, and sipped wine served by 24 wineries during the two and a
THURSDAY EDITION
There is a big old debate going on over at a blog called Freakonomics (The Hidden Side Of Everything), which is run by the New York Times. One of its contributors is Eric A. Morris, who
apparently is a writer who likes to take on some of the bigger shibboleths of these here days. And judging by the vehemence contained in some of the responses to his article debunking the myth of “Los Angeles Sprawl,” it would appear that Mr. Mor-
ris has struck something of a nerve. The myth of Los Angeles as a wasteful low density sprawl that consumes vast tracts of land for little real purpose is pretty much at the heart of any justification for high density development,
Myth on 3
InnerView:
Waiting for that Bloomin’ Wistaria Vine By Fran Syverson
“O Wistaria, Wistaria! wherefore art thou, Wistaria?? [With my apologies to The Bard…] Every year along about now, that’s the question we’re asking about the Wistaria Vine. Will it bloom in time? Will it bloom too soon and its lovely blossoms fade? In time for what? Too soon for what? Why, for the Sierra Madre Wistaria Festival—that’s what! For the day when lo! thousands of people will throng to our Village with one main goal: to view The Vine. So we Sierra Madreans watch to see whether our world-famed Vine will be at its enchanting best on that one day each spring known as Wistaria Day. That’s when owners of two homes over which the more-than-century-old Vine graciously open their gardens to the public. And the date is chosen months in advance so that plans can be made to coordinate details of the Wistaria Festival, which has grown to include a fabulous Street Faire. Hence—every year the questions come: “in time?” “too soon?” “past its prime?” I keep tabs on our Village’s historic wonder by checking out our own wistaria. It, too, is very old (I wish I knew how old) and it spreads its branches over our patio. Looking down on the arbor from my upstairs window, I can see the flower buds. With the rain we’ve had this winter, and the chilly nights, it is not surprising that the buds are scarcely the size of my little finger. A week ago they were thumb-sized, so they have grown a bit. But I fret, because Wistaria Day is March 15 this year—less than three weeks away. Every few days I go up the hill to check out The Vine. I drive slowly down past the sites, craning my neck to sneak a peek at her. Her blossoms seem to be at about the same stage as ours—fingerlings. So I fret some more. Perhaps we will get a few warm days, and the sap surging upward in the long, trailing branches will encourage the blossoms to burst forth. They Wistaria on 12