Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 23, 2012

16

OPINION

 Mountain Views News Saturday June 23, 2012 

STUART Tolchin..........On LIFE

RICH Johnson

Mountain 
Views

News

PUBLISHER/ EDITOR

Susan Henderson

CITY EDITOR

Dean Lee 

EAST VALLEY EDITOR

Joan Schmidt

SALES

Patricia Colonello

626-355-2737 

626-818-2698

PRODUCTION 

Richard Garcia

PHOTOGRAPHY

Lina Johnson

WEBMASTER

John Aveny 

CONTRIBUTORS

Jeff Brown

Pat Birdsall

Chris Leclerc

Bob Eklund

Howard Hays

Paul Carpenter

Stuart Tolchin

Kim Clymer-Kelley

Christopher Nyerges

Peter Dills 

Hail Hamilton 

Rich Johnson

Chris Bertrand

Ron Carter

Rev. James Snyder

Bobby Eldridge

Mary Carney

La Quetta Shamblee

Katie Hopkins

Deanne Davis

Despina Arouzman

Greg Wellborn

Dr. John Talevich

Meaghan Allen

Sean Kayden

CATS MOSTLY AND DOGS TOO

 
I’ve noticed that people typically fall into predominantly 
three categories. Cat lovers (like my friends Holly, Chuck, and 
Helen), dog lovers (like my ex-wife, kids, Chuck and Lisa, 
Cindy, and Dick) and those who prefer no four legged beasties. 
Of course there are those who have some of each, but let’s just 
classify them as animal lovers in general. (BTW, I know I am 
going to hear from the llama and armadillo lovers about how 
I’ve ignored them). 

 Cat lovers recoil at the thought of owning dogs as much as 
dog lovers think it inconceivable to own cats. I have had both 
at the same time so I’m split on the subject. I like the total devotion of dogs. But I 
also like it that cats go in the box. 

 Clever people have defined the difference between canines and felines and I 
thought it might be worth sharing. Let’s look at catty comments first:

 I’ve been told that the training procedure with cats was difficult. It’s not. Mine 
had me trained in two days. Bill Dana

 Cats are mean for the fun of it. P. J. O’Rourke

 A dog jumps into your lap because he is fond of you; a cat jumps into your lap 
because it’s warmer. A. N. Whitehead

 Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get 
used to the idea. Robert Heinlein

 Cats hearing is built to allow the human voice to go easily in one ear and out the 
other. Stephen Baker

 Thousands of years ago cats were worshipped as gods. They have never forgotten 
this. Anonymous

 I got rid of my husband. The cat was allergic to him. Unknown

 Things you can learn from your cat:

 Cats are living proof that eating and sleeping all day isn’t all bad

 If you can’t get your way, lay across the keyboard until you do

 Nap often

 When in trouble, just purr and look cute

 Mix it up. One day ignore people; the next day annoy them

 Make your mark in the world, or at least in every corner.

 Climb your way to the top. It’s why the curtains are there

Cat definitions:

 A lapwarmer with a built-in buzzer

 A small, four-legged, fur-bearing extortionist

 A treat-seeking missile

 An unprogrammable animal

 A roaming bag of attitude

 A vibrating hot water bottle with fur

Clever cat names

 Abigail Mousington 

 Admiral Furrygut 

 Adora-Belle

 Allie Cat

 Apricat

 Aristo-Cat

 Ben Purr

 Cat Benatar

 Cat du Jour

 Chairman Meow

 Copycat

Edward Scissorclaws

Catmandu

Jenny Fur

Mewsette

Miss Chevious

Mittens

Motor

Scat

Sophista-Cat

Tabby Roads (get it?)

 Cleverest names for a dog. I can think of two incredibly clever names, one that is 
from my foster son, and one that is mean but funny. The best name ever for a dog 
was named by an Italian family. The called their canine companion, D-O-G (Dee-
O-Gee). Alf, the TV show from the 80s’, had a neighbor dog named Bob Barker. My 
foster child’s son is a little Maltese named Sparky. He’s the best. And the mean but 
funny name is to call your dog STAY. Come here, STAY. It will mess with his or her 
name. Don’t do that.

AN UNPLEASANT PREDICTION

 I just returned from a week in Chicago that seems to have 
had a very profound effect upon me. Chicago is quite different 
from California in that it kind of makes it impossible to ignore 
reality. The weather here in LA County is generally moderate and 
here in sheltered, removed Sierra Madre itself is generally pretty 
moderate. Usually people here leave each other alone. In Chicago 
people talk to each other. They even talk to strangers just like I do. 
I guess I’m a pretty typical Chicagoan even though I never knew it.

 

 During our trip my wife, son, and I did not rent a car so we were out in the world 
using public transportation. We took busses, subways, elevated trains, and river taxis. 
On many of these trips other passengers talked to us and made recommendations 
about places to visit and areas to avoid. They filed us in about the recent history of 
the city and we heard first hand about problems connected with the economy. Some 
of the bus-riders were now jobless after working many years in service professions. 
One woman explained that restaurants were now only employing young people with 
advanced degrees who were wiling to take the jobs because nothing else was available.

 Given this information I began to ask servers about their education and learned 
that it was true. Many had Master’s degrees. They could find no other jobs and felt 
fortunate to have obtained the waiter or waitress position. I questioned a cab-driver 
and learned that he had two Masters and was working toward his PhD. He also told 
us, that there are great problems in Chicago associated with gang violence. I wanted 
to visit the area where I attended elementary School but we were warned by everyone, 
including the taxi-driver and a librarian, who lived near that neighborhood, to not 
take a chance.

 Upon returning to safe, secluded Sierra Madre I went to work the next Monday. 
As I walked to Court I was asked for money by the homeless people that I passed on 
the street. I guess this happens all the time and I’m used to it; but on this particular 
day I looked at the People’s faces and they looked miserable. Why didn’t I want to give 
them some change or a few dollars? I used to freely give out money, but now I don’t. 
Why? Probably because I think they will buy lotto tickets instead of food. I once 
asked someone what they would do with the money and was told that hope was more 
important than food. Maybe it is? 

 I walked on to the Criminal Courts Building and went up to the Master Calendar 
Court for misdemeanors. Usually this courtroom is overcrowded with people and 
lawyers impatiently waiting for their cases to be heard. On this day it was almost 
empty. Nothing was scheduled because this was the day Court personnel were 
told about layoffs. 150 lost their jobs and on that very morning, one Court worker 
was found dead behind his desk when other people arrived for work. Who knows 
how long he had been there or why he died? People speculated that the death had 
something to do with the lay-offs.

 So far I have been very fortunate. Now this Chicago trip has opened my eyes a 
bit and I am really experiencing the fact that the world is in trouble. One of my 
previous major life traumas was the need to avoid the draft. I applied to become 
a conscientious objector. I failed to convince my draft board but I did convince 
myself and consider myself to be a pacifist very much in favor of gun-control and 
disarmament. Nevertheless, I have spent a great deal of time reading about history 
and I have come to the unfortunate conclusion that one way the world can solve its 
present problems is for there to be some sort of global mobilization toward a conflict 
with some enemy.

 Young testosterone-filled men with little to do are presently running around with 
little to do but cause trouble. Our economy has stopped manufacturing anything. 
There is little unity and huge polarized political divisions that will not compromise 
to get anything done. In 1984 Orwell describes a constant war against an imaginary 
enemy. Maybe that’s what we need, or perhaps a war against imaginary space 
invaders that would allow governments to fund needed space exploration. It would 
be nice to have a war in which nobody got hurt. Unfortunately, in terms of prediction 
such a war is very unlikely. Still as I read about world tensions and see Iran, Syria, 
Russia, and China finding a common interest one has to wonder if war can be far 
away. Could this war actually secretly be intended to save world economies? It is an 
unpleasant, cynical thought but, as I recall it was mainly preparations for war that 
saved the American economy in 1938. It would be nicer if the world could be saved 
by buying lotto tickets. 

Mountain Views News 
has been adjudicated as 
a newspaper of General 
Circulation for the County 
of Los Angeles in Court 
Case number GS004724: 
for the City of Sierra 
Madre; in Court Case 
GS005940 and for the 
City of Monrovia in Court 
Case No. GS006989 and 
is published every Saturday 
at 55 W. Sierra Madre 
Blvd., No. 302, Sierra 
Madre, California, 91024. 
All contents are copyrighted 
and may not be 
reproduced without the 
express written consent of 
the publisher. All rights 
reserved. All submissions 
to this newspaper become 
the property of the Mountain 
Views News and may 
be published in part or 
whole. 

Opinions and views 
expressed by the writers 
printed in this paper do 
not necessarily express 
the views and opinions 
of the publisher or staff 
of the Mountain Views 
News. 

Mountain Views News is 
wholly owned by Grace 
Lorraine Publications, 
Inc. and reserves the right 
to refuse publication of 
advertisements and other 
materials submitted for 
publication. 

Letters to the editor and 
correspondence should 
be sent to: 

Mountain Views News

80 W. Sierra Madre Bl. 
#327

Sierra Madre, Ca. 
91024

Phone: 626-355-2737

Fax: 626-609-3285

email: 

mtnviewsnews@aol.com


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

HOW TO RUIN A PERFECTLY 
GOOD DAY

City of Sierra Madre

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

To: Citywide

From: The City of Sierra Madre

Subject: LOCAL DEVELOPMENT REPORT COMPLIANCE WITH 
CONGESTION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM 

Applicant: City of Sierra Madre

Project Location: Citywide 

The City of Sierra Madre gives notice, pursuant to State of California law, that the City Council 
will conduct a public hearing to review the City’s compliance with the Los Angeles County 
Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Congestion Management Program pursuant to California 
Government Code Section 65089. 

DATE AND TIME OF HEARING PLACE OF HEARING

City of Sierra Madre City of Sierra Madre

City Council meeting City Council Chambers

Tuesday, June 26, 2012 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd.

(Hearing begins at 6:30 p.m.) Sierra Madre, CA

All interested persons may attend this meeting and the City Council will hear them with respect 
thereto.

PROJECT LOCATION: City-wide

APPEAL: If in the future anyone wishes to challenge the decision of the City Council in court, one 
may be limited to raising the issues that were raised or presented in written correspondence delivered 
to the City Council at, or before, the scheduled public hearing. For further information on this 
subject, please contact the Development Services Department at (626) 355-7135.

By Order of the City Council

Danny Castro, Director of Development Services 

Speaking of good days, and who isn't these days, I am looking 
forward to two in a row. I know it may be wishful thinking on 
my part, but a person has to do something with his time.

Last week I almost broke my record with two consecutive good days. But, wouldn't 
you know it, it just did not happen.

 With all my experience in this matter, I plan to write a book someday: "How to Ruin 
a Perfectly Good Day." I know 197 different ways to ruin a good day. Who knows, by 
next week it might pass the 200 mark. When that happens, I will celebrate.

 For those who do not know how to ruin a perfectly good day, let me outline some 
tried and true suggestions from my vast wealth of experience.

 The first thing is to define what a perfectly good day is. After all, how can you ruin a 
perfectly good day (PG day) if you don't recognize it? Of course, I agree that nothing 
is really perfect.

 Perfect is in the eye of the beholder and nobody can hold her for very long. What is 
perfect to me may not be perfect to someone else - like my wife.

 A perfectly good day is one of those rare days when everything goes according to 
plan - my plan that is. I like to get up in the morning and over my morning coffee, 
review my "to-do-list" for the day and put things in order of importance.

 A successful "to-do-list," in my opinion, is a list that does not take all day to do. I 
need some time for myself.

 If my "to-do-list" has too much to do, the chances of the day being a PG day is between 
slim and nil.

 A PG day has more hours in it than things to do. I hate it when I run out of day 
before I finish my "to-do-list."

 Last Monday, I had just finished my morning cup of Joe and finished reviewing my 
"to-do-list" and seemed to have the day well in hand.

 The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage noticed my face sporting a playful smile. If 
there is something my wife can't stand, it is a playful smile across my map. For some 
reason she thinks I'm up to no good. Usually she's right.

 "Why don't you call and straighten out the telephone bill?" she said, as coolly as a 
preacher at a summer picnic.

 It was on my list but not anywhere near the top.

 I was rather nonchalant and not ready for this task. I had not seen my chalant for 
weeks but it did not concern me. Looking back, I should have been concerned, or at 
least looked for my chalant.

 Actually, I was upbeat and gingerly picked up the phone and dialed the number.

Soon a cheery voice was giving me instructions; "Our options have changed to serve 
you better. Please listen carefully. If you wish to continue in English please press 1."

 In the confusion, I pressed 4 and got Japanese.

 I began the process all over again. This time I pressed the right button and got the 
rest of the instructions in English. From then on, I pressed number after number and 
got nowhere.

 For the next 12 minutes, I was pressing numbers and listening to instructions. Finally, 
I heard the telephone ringing and a cheerful voice answered. At this point, 
I thought I was home free, but alas, fate was only putting a hefty mortgage on my 
home.

 "'Ello, can I to help please you?" "Huh," I said as diplomatically as I knew how.

 "Can I to help please you?" the voice in the phone repeated.

 I may not be the sharpest pencil in the box but I knew I was talking to someone as 
familiar with the English language as a politician is to the truth.

 "Is there anyone there," I pled, "who speaks English?"

 "Ah, yes, I to speak berry goot English. Can I to help please you?"

 So, I threw caution to the wind and explained the mix-up on my bill.

 "Aaah, I understand. This is billing problem. I transfer you to billing department."

 For the next 20 minutes, I was treated, and I say this with tongue firmly planted in 
my cheek, to a musical interlude. It was elevator music; it raised my blood pressure.

 For the next three hours, I went from pillar to post in the telephone department and 
got no nearer to solving my telephone-billing mix-up.

 One of the problems with being a minister is you are not allowed to swear. By 2:30 
in the afternoon, I had an overwhelming urge to swear. My difficulty was simply, I 
could not think of any swear words to use and "ah, fiddlesticks" does not seem to 
carry much significance in such circumstance.

 By 4 that afternoon, I still had no solution to my billing problem. I had exhausted 
all my options, not to mention my patience, and nothing to show for it. All I wanted 
to do was pay my bill.

 Through my experience with the telephone company, I was reminded of one of my 
favorite verses from the Bible. "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee 
great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." (Jeremiah 33:3 KJV.)

It is comforting to know that God is only a prayer away.

City of Sierra Madre

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

rom: City of Sierra Madre

Subject: 

Specific Plan No. 11-01- Kensington Specific Plan: A Specific Plan to govern the development and 
operation of an assisted living facility use on the subject property.

Municipal Code Text Amendment No. 11-04: An amendment to the Title 17 (Zoning) of the Sierra 
Madre Municipal Code to incorporate the Kensington Specific Plan regulations as a Congregate Care 
Overlay Zone on the subject property. 

Applicant: 

Fountain Square Development West 

 

Project Location: 225-245 West Sierra Madre Boulevard in the City of Sierra Madre, County of Los 
Angeles, State of California

The City of Sierra Madre gives notice, pursuant to State of California law, that the City Council will 
conduct a public hearing to consider a proposal from Fountain Square Development West to construct 
and operate a two-story, 60,100 square foot assisted living facility on a 1.84 acre property located at 
225-245 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard. A Specific Plan is required pursuant to General Plan Land Use 
Policy L3.1 which requires the adoption of a comprehensive plan or similar planning document for 
all developments on properties exceeding one acre in size. In order for such plan to have regulatory 
authority over the underlying zone(s), a Municipal Code Text Amendment to establish a Congregate 
Care Overlay Zone on the subject property will also be considered. At its June 11, 2012 meeting, 
the Planning Commission approved the Conditional Use Permit and recommended approval of the 
Specific Plan and Municipal Code Text Amendment. 

DATE AND TIME OF HEARING PLACE OF HEARING

City of Sierra Madre City of Sierra Madre

City Council meeting City Council Chambers

Tuesday, June 26, 2012 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd.

(Hearing begins at 6:30 p.m.) Sierra Madre, CA 

All interested persons may attend this meeting and the City Council will hear them with respect thereto.

ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: An environmental initial study of the proposed project 
was performed pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) and a draft Mitigated 
Negative Declaration has been prepared indicating that the project will not have a significant adverse 
effect on the environment with the implementation of mitigation measures. The initial study and draft 
Mitigated Negative Declaration will be considered by the City Council at the June 26, 2012 public 
hearing.

Mountain Views News

Mission Statement

The traditions of the 
community newspaper 
and the concerns of 
our readers are this 
newspaper’s top 
priorities. We support a 
prosperous community 
of well-informed 
citizens. We hold in 
high regard the values 
of the exceptional 
quality of life in our 
community, including 
the magnificence of 
our natural resources. 
Integrity will be our 
guide.