Lack of Financing #1 Barrier to Recovery
According to a poll released recently by LoopNet, an online commercial real estate marketplace, 46% of commercial real estate professionals say the commercial RE market will not rebound until 2011. Fifty-three percent (53%) expect further price declines of 11% or more. “Lack of access to debt financing” was the No. 1 cited barrier to recovery. [...]
Griffith Park, A Little Something for Everyone
“It must be made a place of recreation and rest for the masses, a resort for the rank and file, for the plain people. I consider it may obligation to make Los Angeles, a happier, cleaner and finer city. I wish to pay my debt of duty in this way to the community in which [...]
Alverno Artists Paint ‘Most Haunted’ Window in Sierra Madre
Alverno sophomores Carolyn Chalfant, Holly Coates, and Laura Mejia won first place in the 14-17 age category of the Sierra Madre Haunted Window painting competition. Their creepy cemetery painting will haunt shoppers at the Charcuterie through the Halloween season. “They took the initiative,” says Alverno art teacher Tim Lewis. “The girls did everything on their [...]
Celebrating a Quarter-Century of Racing
This Weekend’s Breeders’ Cup Offers Incredible Chance to See World’s Best Thoroughbreds in Action.
Sierra Madre Writer Tells It Short, But Not Always Sweet
New Book of Short Fiction is an Easy Read For centuries, writers have been fascinated with the challenge of telling a story in 1000 words or less. Today, it is a popular, albeit difficult, form of fiction showing up in bookstores. Short story telling is known as flash-fiction. Linda Courtland is a Sierra Madre resident [...]
Earline Mountjoy
I was lucky to get to know Earline Mountjoy. I say I was lucky in that she was not an easy person to get to know, not that she was unpleasant. Quite the opposite. Earline was a quiet person who was content to be a supporter of the things she loved rather than the star. [...]
Halloween Candy Buy Back Program Nets 1,043 Pounds of Candy
Like trick or treat in reverse, Mayflower Elementary School second grader, John Maines, hands over a bag of Halloween candy to be weighed at the school’s candy buy back day. For every pound of candy turned in, children received a prize and a raffle ticket for a chance to win a new bicycle. All five [...]
Zap the Garden with Winter Color, Texture, Structure
Dear Garden Gal, I want to spruce up a couple of areas around the garden but I’m avoiding too much planting in flower beds to conserve water. Can you recommend a few plants or techniques for injecting some winter color without wasting water, money and time? – Beth S. Sierra Madre, CA Dear Beth, [...]
Deadly Mistake #4: Make the Interest Rate on the Note Nice and Low
It’s tempting to offer a low interest rate to entice a buyer to give you a fat, juicy price for your property. It’s OK if that gets the job done and you’re happy with it, but you just have to know that you’re writing in the discount you will ultimately take on your note. Don’t [...]
How to Hire (And Work With) a Designer
If you’ve ever done your own design project, you know that it can easily become frustrating, leaving you collapsed in a heap of catalogs, fabric swatches and paint samples. Whether you are mired in fabric choices and furniture selection, don’t know any vendors, or can’t stick to your budget, a design project can be a [...]
