Mountain Views News          Saturday, April 7, 2012

5

AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY

 Mountain Views News Saturday, April 7, 2012 

PET OF THE WEEK: MARTY Animal ID #A4408783

“What’s Going On?” 

News and Views from Joan Schmidt


Meet a charming dog that could 
steal anyone’s heart if he wanted 
to, Marty (A4408783). Marty is 
a ridiculously cute six-year-old 
brown male Shih Tzu mix that 
was found in Baldwin Park and 
brought to the shelter on March 
23rd. Weighing fourteen pounds, 
Marty walks very well on leash. He 
likes other dogs and is exceptionally 
friendly with people. Marty’s 
tongue hangs out of the side of his 
mouth, which gives him an utterly 
adorable expression. A volunteer 
favorite, Marty is the perfect pet 
for anyone in any living situation at 
all, and his calm energy makes him 
exceptionally perfect for a senior or 
retired couple. To view a video of 
Marty please visit: www.youtube.
com/watch?v=Mr1OIM4B474

To meet Marty in person, please see him at the Baldwin Park Shelter, located at 4275 N. 
Elton, Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 626-430-2378 or 626-962-3577). He is currently 
available now. For any inquiries about Marty, please reference his animal ID number: 
A4408783. The shelter is open seven days a week, 12 pm-7 pm Monday-Thursday and 
10am-5pm Friday-Sunday. This is a high-intake shelter with a great need for adoptions. For 
more information about Marty or the adoption process, contact United Hope for Animals 
Volunteer Adoption Coordinator Samantha at samanthasayon@gmail.com or 661-309-
2674. To learn more about United Hope for Animals’ partnership with the Baldwin Park 
Shelter through its Shelter Support Program, as well as the many dogs of all breeds, ages, 
and sizes available for adoption in local shelters, visit http://www.unitedhope4animals.org/
about-us/shelter-support-program/. 


Katie Zola

 Almost twenty-eight years 
ago, I met a remarkable lady, Katie 
Zola. I had just begun my teaching 
career at Annunciation School, 
Arcadia. In those days, it was 
the custom to take your class to 
Mass about every eight days. (We 
took turns.) After a few Masses I 
recognized the group of “daily” 
Mass attendees and Katie was one 
of them. After a month or so, she came up to me after 
Mass and told me that my class was the “best behaved” 
at Church! Being a new teacher, that meant a lot to me.

 Back then there was no summer school, and I 
got into the habit of attending Mass. Between that and 
working the annual Fiesta, I began to know Katie, and 
the more I learned, the more I admired her. Katie was 
the most upbeat, happy-go-lucky person you’d want to 
meet. She was also a tireless worker and great volunteer. But I must start her remarkable story from 
the beginning.

 She was born in Canada and her family moved to Michigan when she was a child. Katie 
met the love of life, John C. Zola there and they were married just short of forty years, when he 
passed away in 1977, his life was cut short by leukemia. John was a chemical engineer graduate, 
from the University of Wisconsin. When their children, Tom, Billy and Mary were young, John and 
Katie relocated to California, where he founded a business- a research lab, had patents and invented 
“Zolatone” paint.

 John’s business was successful, but their lives were filled with tragedy and hard times. Billy 
was a preteen, and had an injury. His arm bothered him so Katie took him to the doctor and they 
discovered cancer. Part of his arm was amputated and Billy succumbed to the disease. In their teens, 
Mary and Tom began to have health problems and were diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. They 
both ended up in wheel chairs- which is how the situation was, when I met the family.

 Katie would come to Mass EVERY day with that beautiful smile. I would say to my class, 
“Katie is a REAL saint. She has EVERY right to be bitter. She lost Billy way too son and Mary and 
Tom are confined to wheelchairs. But here she is at Mass EVERY day, even in bad weather. She has 
a deep faith in God. I heard stories that she went to UCLA with Tom and pushed him from class to 
class in his wheelchair.”

 Tom and Mary are a tribute to their parents. Before Tom passed away, he had founded a 
successful Catholic bookstore that evolved into a mail order business. Tom had such a wonderful 
upbeat personality that the Catholic newspaper, The Tidings, ran an article about a remarkable man 
confined to a wheelchair, but developing this successful business!

 And then there’s Mary. She helped with her Dad’s business and kept it going after he passed 
away, until his remaining chemist passed away. To this day, Mary also has the wonderful attitude 
although she isn’t able to get out as before. Yesterday I spent time with her to find out a little about 
her mom’s background and how her parents met. Mary actually has a little office as a tribute to dad 
with the “Zola” business sign hanging on a wall. There are three shelves with flasks and a corkboard 
with her dad’s tools!

 There is one last story I must share about Katie. Almost twenty years ago, the school was 
in a financial bind. (This is when Sr. Anthony was principal and Mr. Curtis, a dear friend, was vice 
principal.) A few years back, when we were visiting, Mr. Curtis shared that Katie had donated a 
VERY sizable amount of money to help the school, but under the condition that no one know. That’s 
just the way she was. She did things to help others, but did not want any attention over it.

 In her last years, Katie no longer was able to attend daily Mass. I went over to visit with 
birthday cards my students made and we read them together and laughed. One of the children wrote, 
“95, wow that’s old!” Some people might have gotten angry, but not Katie. She thought it was a riot. 
This remarkable woman would live another six years and recently passed away at age 101!

 After her funeral, I think Monsignor (Zimmerman) summed it up best, “Katie’s gone straight 
to heaven. There are no stops for her.” 

Dear Katie, thank you for being an inspiration to me and all my students over the years. No matter 
what hardships came your way, your faith in God never faltered. You spent your days helping your 
family and all those around, and your cheerfulness was contagious. We will miss you! Rest in peace.


CHRISTOPHER NYERGES SPEAKS....... 

 
By Christopher Nyerges

 [Nyerges is a field guide and author of books, such as 
“Enter the Forest.” Information about his classes and books 
is available from School of Self-reliance, Box 41834, Eagle 
Rock, CA 90041, or www.ChristopherNyerges.com.]

TURNING OVER THE MONEY-CHANGERS’ 
TABLES An Easter Week Commentary

 Growing up in a Catholic family, I have 
always had a special reverence for Passion 
Week, perhaps the holiest of all the Christian holy days. The climax 
of this tradition begins on Palm Sunday with Jesus’ entry into the 
city of Jerusalem on a mule while palm leaves and garments are 
laid in his path by his followers. He is widely acknowledged as a 
healer, though some are upset that his actions are drawing so much 
attention. 

 Then, later that day, or the next day, he becomes enraged by 
the “money changers” and ubiquitous vendors along the way to the 
temple, and knocks over many of these booths.

 Of course, it is no different today. Every holy site on earth is 
packed with vendors and their booths of trinkets that they hawk 
to every tourist who passes by. These booths of vendors are found 
around the Vatican, the Church of Guadalupe in Mexico City, 
Chichen Itza, the Egypt pyramids, etc., ad nauseum. 

 Jesus knocked over the merchants’ tables because he felt their 
very presence in the temple desecrated a holy site. This didn’t garner 
him many friends, especially not the merchants who felt justified in 
their commerce. This act set the stage for the various accusations, 
arrest, trials, and crucifixion.

 Today, commerce seems to run and rule every aspect of our lives. 
Everything has a price and scant few protest the gross invasion of 
commercialism, on billboards, on our e-mail, on the bus-stop, in 
the bus, on the bus, at every sporting venue, on the clothing of 
bicyclists and car racers, etc. Yet, we somewhat draw the line at our 
religious locations. Somewhat. 

 Jesus recoiled that the work of the Temple seemed to be just 
the work of commerce. Let it be done elsewhere, he argued. Of 
course, his actions were radical, and noteworthy, and look how he 
was “rewarded” for trying to separate commerce from “the house 
of God.”

 I once experienced what I felt was very similar to what Jesus felt 
that day.

 I was in Guatemala on a Mayan study and tour; we drove to the 
town of Chichicastenango. It was said to be a sacred city where the 
oldest version of the Popul Vuh exists. We were going to visit one 
of the holiest Mayan sites, which was once a pyramid in the town, 
upon which a Catholic cathedral had been built a few hundred 
years ago. 

 To get to this site, we had to walk through several blocks of 
narrow passageways, densely populated with booth after booth 
selling jewelry, artworks, fabric, clothing, food, herbs, and all 
manner of trinkets. There was no escaping the throngs of vendors, 
to whom any eye contact meant maybe you wanted to buy what 
they had. The narrow passageways were so thick that you literally 
had to bump shoulders with everyone else, and the hired tour guide 
yelled out to all of us to carry our daypacks in front of our bodies 
to thwart pickpockets. 

 I began to feel that I had descended into a hell of sorts. I had 
not been feeling well, and I had just learned two days earlier that 
my brother had died. I was in the mindset of entering into a Holy 
of Holies, but to get there you had to pass through the gauntlet of 
the most overt commercialism imaginable. I withdrew deeply into 
my self, something next to impossible to do in such a public place.

 Eventually, our group all arrived at the base of what was left of 
the whitewashed pyramid. At the top was the cathedral, where 
the church today allows the Mayans to practice their traditional 
religion. We would eventually enter the church and hear about its 
history, and see a Mayan priestess performing a ritual in the middle 
row of the church. 

 But outside, with the din of voices and screaming all around, 
the merchants booths were set up right to the edge of the pyramid. 
People sat on the pyramid, and near the base, copal was continually 
burned and black smoke poured heavenward. The narrow 
passageways of all the corridors of booths led to this pyramid, and 
a constant throng of passersby moved constantly this way 
and that. 

 I felt awestruck by that unique spiritual “something” that 
was an inherent part of this special place. But why had the 
commerce been allowed to invade and over run this site. At 
least no vendors were allowed into the church yard or church!

 But outside, at the base of the pyramid, I had a clear mental 
picture of the wrath of Jesus back at the Temple of Jerusalem, 
knocking the vendors’ tables over. I could see the Rightness 
in what he did. I felt such a strong desire myself – to be rid 
of the hawkers of wares in that holy place. 

 There was no way I would kick over a table of jewelry or 
other goods. For one, I was not feeling well and didn’t have 
the strength for such an act. For another, I was well aware 
that I’d be spending time in some out of the way Guatemalan 
jail cell, and that notion was very unappealing. I simply took 
in the moment, tried to feel the reality of the commerce that 
has overtaken us, and looked forward to my departure.

 Yes, Easter is about the death and resurrection, a theme 
that is found in numerous religious traditions world-wide. It 
is a worthy theme to study and to plumb its mysteries. It is 
all about each of us allowing our ignorant ways to die, and to 
allow our spiritual divinities to be resurrected from the ashes 
of our pointless lives. But don’t forget that Jesus desired to 
kick out the love of money from the spiritual temple. That too is 
something that each of us should do in our own private lives. 

 And if and when we get the courage to actually do this, do not 
expect your friends and family to smile in approval. You would be 
wise to look at story of Jesus to see what you should expect, and to 
plan accordingly. 


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.mtnviewsnews.com