Mountain Views News          Saturday, November 27, 2010

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviews


WEED PATCH 

(cont. from page 1)

entertainment evenings. The 
man in charge asked the kid 
‘Buck’ to help him. He, the 
man, would try to pull off 
Buck’s pants, but the kid was 
told to fasten his belt well so 
they really wouldn’t come off. 
Earl said he had to cinch up 
his belt very tightly as he was 
skinny. The two crawled about 
on the stage, the man chasing 
‘Buck’ and the boy narrowly 
escaping, bringing guffaws 
from the audience. (His pants 
did not come off.). Then the 
man ran after 
him with 
his mouth 
wide open, 
grabbed 
Buck’s belt 
in his teeth, 
picked him 
up off the 
floor and 
with his teeth 
still grasping 
Buck’s belt, 
ran about 
the stage 
swinging 
the boy in 
the aid to 
the howls of 
amusement 
from the 
onlookers! 

 Earl also 
related that 
when Grapes 
of Wrath was 
filed there, 
the camp 
manager 
took part in 
a small scene 
and received 
$10,000 for 
doing so. 
Upon receipt of the money 
he promptly quit his job and 
retired!

 We learned that the residents 
lived in small, one room cabins, 
each with a cook stove. Every 
four cabins shared one water 
faucet outside and there was a 
bathroom building with toilets 
and showers. An example of 
one of the small gas stoves was 
on display in a back room of 
the community hall along with 
a dehydrator. This was a metal 
cylinder on legs about four and 
a half feet high with several wire 
mesh shelves for the food. On a 
top shelf, the fire was built to do 
the drying. All we onlookers 
were surprised to learn there 
had been dehydrators back 
then.

 The woman, who told us she 
had been born there, Sharon 
Garrison, showed us the other 
two remaining buildings which 
have now been painted. One, 
the library, consisted of two 
rooms no longer containing 
book shelves but looked as if 
it would hold a decent supply 
of books. A smaller building 
beside the library had been 
used as the Manager’s Office in 
the movie. This was actually 
the original post office. There 
was a room behind it which 
was used for first aid and also 
as the quarantine room where 
those with a contagious disease 
must stay until recovered. 
Sharon also described the 
unique experience of having 
school classes in an airplane 
and walking up and down the 
slanting floor of the fuselage.

Some of the old timers had 
mentioned that occasionally 
the police came barging into 
Weed Patch looking for trouble 
makers. They thought that if 
there were problems nearby the 
perpetrators must be from the 
camp. The law had no use for 
the “Okies”. Some of these folks 
also casually mentioned that 
families outside the camp did 
not want their children playing 
with the Weed Patch children. 
However, everyone who talked 
to us about living in Weed Patch 
sounded so upbeat about their 
experiences here that I asked 
them, “You sound as though 
you really liked living here.” 
They all chimed in at once, 
“Oh we loved living here.” “We 
always had lots 
of friends to play 
with. Everyone 
helped with 
everyone else. 
Sure, sometimes 
we worked hard 
in the fields next 
to our folks, 
but a little hard 
work never hurt 
anyone.” “There 
were always so 
many things to 
do!” Everyone 
exclaimed that 
they loved living 
there; they had 
had a great 
childhood in 
Weed Patch!

MACGILLIVRAY (from pg. 1)

and ignorance of everyday people 
who know nothing about 
Islam.”

 Earlier in the year when the 
council was attending their strategic 
planning session, MacGillivray 
listed the introduction of 
Sharia Law as an ‘outside threat’ 
to the City of Sierra Madre.

 Although Sharia Law is not new, 
the passage of a law in Oklahoma 
where voters recently ratified a 
state constitutional amendment 
that prohibits judges from considering 
Sharia law in their decisions 
has fueled the hysteria 
concerning the impact of this 
Islamic practice on American 
Society.

 A noted scholar noted in the 
Harvard University Crimson 
that “Quite simply, there is a 
dangerous amount of ignorance 
in the United States about what 
Sharia law actually is. And until 
this misconception is corrected, 
as another concerned columnist 
so eloquently put it, the war on 
global Islamist terror will also 
continue be a war on American 
Muslims.”

 MacGillivray, who could not 
be reached for comment prior 
to going to press is no stranger 
to getting involved with very 
emotionally charged personal issues 
that are used by politicians. 
In 1997, she persuaded the city 
council to define ‘families’ in a 
manner that excluded all ‘non-
traditional’ households including 
gay couples. Although that 
ordinance was passed, it was 
later rescinded.

3


MountainViews-News Saturday, November 27, 2010 

Sierra Madre Police Blotter

During the week of Sunday, November 14th, to Saturday 
November 20th, the Sierra Madre Police Department 
responded to approximately 306 calls for service. See 
crimereports.com for updated information.

Sunday, November 14th:

2:30 PM- Residential Burglary, 400 blk. W. Montecito 
Ave. Unknown suspect(s) entered a residential home by 
climbing onto a balcony and entering an opened balcony 
door. Items stolen from the home included an ebony 
jewelry box, numerous gold, jade, and pearl earrings, a 6 
leaf eucalyptus motif necklace, other women’s jewelry, and 
a gold colored standard pillow case. Suspect(s) left in an 
unknown direction. 

Tuesday, November 16th:

2:16 AM- DUI Alcohol/Drugs Arrest, Oak Crest Dr 
and Carter Ave. Motorist was stopped for a Vehicle Code 
violation. Investigations revealed that the Sierra Madre 
resident was under the influence of alcohol. The driver 
was arrested and transported to Pasadena Police Jail for 
booking.

Wednesday, November 17th:

1:04 AM- DUI Alcohol/Drugs, Foothill Blvd and 
Michillinda Ave. Motorist was stopped for a Vehicle Code 
violation. Investigation revealed that Altadena resident was 
under the influence of alcohol. The driver was transported 
to Pasadena Police Jail for booking. 

7:45 AM- Battery, 450 blk. W. Carter Ave. This case 
involves a battery that occurred at Bailey Canyon Park 
between a Sierra Madre resident walking his dog off leash 
and a Pasadena resident, who asked the man to put a leash 
on the dog. The man walking the dog reportedly pushed the 
victim as he passed him on the trail. The case was submitted 
to Pasadena District Attorney’s office for review.

Thursday, November 18th: 

3:14 PM- Residential Burglary, 100 blk. E. Bonita Ave. 
Unknown suspect(s) entered a residential home through 
the back door with a doggie door opening. A gun vault was 
stolen containing a Ruger revolver handgun inside. 

Friday, November 19th: 

12:27 PM-Fraudulent Obtaining Money/ Property/
Labor, 30 blk. E. Montecito Ave. This case involves a man 
selling phony iPod to a Sierra Madre resident.

Saturday, November 20th:

2:43 PM- Possession of Dangerous Fireworks, Baldwin 
Ave and Hampton Ave. An officer stopped a motorist for 
a Vehicle Code violation. During the stop the officer found 
what appeared to be a pipe bomb. Officers called the Los 
Angeles County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad and the area was 
evacuated. Bomb squad investigators determined that the 
device was fireworks packaged and wrapped to look like 
a pipe bomb. A 19 year old Azusa man was arrested for 
possession of dangerous fireworks and taken to the Sierra 
Madre Police Department for booking. The suspect was 
released on a written promise to appear in court. 


Shoppe Sierra Madre


Weed Patch Old-Timer Earl “Buck” Shelton


Dickens Village Map


News From Sierra 
Madre United 

Methodist Church 

The holiday season is 
upon us. Join us on 
December 19th when 
the Chancel Choir, 
Sanctuary Quartet and 
Chamber Orchestra 
will present the Christmas 
portion of Handel's 
" Messiah" during the 
Sunday Service. Sunday 
worship begins at 10 
AM. Join Us. First United 
Methodist Church 
500 East Colorado Blvd, 
Pasadena CA 91101 

For more information 
contact the church at 
First United Methodist 
626.796.0157