Mountain Views News          Saturday, April 5, 2014

AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 5, 2014 6 AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 5, 2014 6 
RICH Johnson 
Yikes - It’s Yelp 

PREPARING FOR EARTHQUAKES 

By Christoper Nyerges

He blamed talk of shakedowns on disgruntled

On Tuesday, April 1, the 

business owners spreading ‘false rumors’”. The 

[Nyerges is the author of “Self-Sufficient Home,” and other books. He also teaches 

LA Times ran an article 

regular classes in wild foods and self-reliance. He can be reached at School of Self-

real problem here is the Yelp Company is also

in their business section 

reliance, Box 41834, Eagle Rock, CA 90041, or www.ChristopherNyerges.com] 

trying to be an advertising website for the same

entitled, “For $75, Yelp 

people it reviews. You can’t help but suspect they

will make man’s Yelp 

 With our recent the house.” McLean took her to the field across the 

might cut a bit more slack to the people who pay

problems go away.” The 

earthquakes, I overhear street with the other children, and then went back to 

them money every month and vice versa. The

writer was David Lazarus 

folks at Bean Town the house.

nice part of the article in the Times is it will hold

and I’m glad he ran the 

talking about ways to 

the whole issue up to the light of day. 

 “My wife was turning in circles in the house,” said 

be prepared in case 

column. 

McLean. He explains that all the walls were lined 

something worse 

Speaking of local businesses in the downtown 

with plates and bookshelves and everything was being 

occurs.

Why does it interest me? Well, possibly you 

Sierra Madre area, a city council candidate, whom 

tossed into the center of the room, falling over and 

remember a column of mine a ways back on 

 In my book breaking. In the kitchen, every cabinet had emptied 

I like very much, suggested a possible fix for local

Yelp and my friend’s restaurant. Actually, I have 

“Self-Sufficient Home,” I tell the story of Dude onto the floor which was littered with broken glass. 

business. His idea? Move the Farmers Market to

several friends who have restaurants. And I seem 

McLean, who lived through the famous 1971 Sylmar 

Saturday and put it down in the middle of Kersting 

 “I don’t know how I escaped getting my feet cut,”

to recall all of them have concerns about Yelp. 

earthquake. Because he was prepared through his 

Court. He said it would improve foot traffic on 

says McLean, “but I just grabbed my wife, and we all 

camping and Marine experience, he fared much better 

Saturday in the downtown area. Hmmmm, the 

went over the field and stood there while everything 

Here’s a recap.

than the average resident. 

Saturdays I’ve been downtown there seems to be 

was still shaking. Other neighbors started coming 

Yelp is a review service for all kinds of businesses. 

plenty of foot traffic many of them there foots 

ONE MAN’S STORY 
out and some came to the field. I could see that all the 

You may have even Yelped (submitted a good or 

connected to pedals. Considering my restaurant 

transformers on the telephone poles were down, and 

bad review of a service or meal you received at 

 Here is McLean’s story of how he and his family 

friends, if the Farmers Market moved to Kersting 

some houses up the creek had been thrown off their 

a local business. Reviewing is good. Then, you 

began on the path of self-reliance, and how an 

Court on Saturdays would the food trucks 

foundations and into the creek.” 

go on the Yelp website and look up a business 

earthquake tested his level of preparedness.

come too? If that’s the case, good bye to all my

and see reviews of that business by people like 

DAMAGE ASSESSMENT

restaurateur friends. I don’t see how this could be 

 In 1965, Dude McLean and his young family moved 

you and me. Have you been there and done 

a good idea even though the candidate said many 

into a house in Kagel Canyon, located in the hilly McLean explains that when it got light, neighbors 

that lately? My guess would be yes. I’ve heard 

of the downtown merchants were supportive of 

northern section of Los Angeles County. He liked checked on other neighbors, and there were no major 

all sorts of comments about how Yelp handles 

the idea.

the house because there was a live stream behind the injuries or deaths. Some neighbors just stayed to 

the reviews. Some business owners suggest they 

house, which flowed year-round. “It was in the L.A. themselves and wouldn’t check on others. The water 

don’t publish the really good reviews or the really 

area, but I always felt distant from the L.A. craziness,” line that provided water to the approximately 200 

Finally, Saturday, April 19th my band, JJ

bad ones. If that’s true it may be because they 

says McLean. Kagel Canyon is nestled right up to the homes in the canyon was broken every 6 to 20 feet, and 

Jukebox is performing at the Peppertree Grill. 

suspect the really good writeups are written by 

Angeles National Forest, a small canyon community of telephone, electricity, and gas lines were out. The main 

If you like the fun rock songs of the 1960s and

advertising agencies hired by the businesses to 

about 200 families. “My children barely realized that access road to the canyon had shifted about two feet, so 

1970s (like The Locomotion and Love Potion

promote them. And the really bad reviews are 

they were growing up in the L.A. area,” says McLean. 
you needed a truck to get in or out.

Number Nine), you will like the Jukebox.

written by those businesses competitors. Whoknows? I do know of one review that most likely 

FOOD PRODUCTION 
About 30% of the homes in the canyon were totally 

The Peppertree Grill is located at 322 East 

destroyed. Some people packed up and departed and 

didn’t get printed because it was too good. The 

 McLean, a former U.S. Marine, wanted a place where 

Sierra Madre Blvd., just east of the intersection of 

never came back. About a dozen houses were shaken 

customer was a writer who started off her review 

he could be as self-reliant as possible, even though his 

Sierra Madre Blvd and Lima on the south side of 

down to rubble piles about four feet high. Homes were 

of a Sierra Madre eatery with the words: “Nestled 

property didn’t have a lot of land. He began doing 

the street (you may remember the place as Café 

down in the creek. 

in the foothills of the majestic San Gabriel 

French-intensive gardening – which required a lot of 

322).

Mountains…” It sounded like ad copy which 

digging, and then switched to square-foot gardening McLean’s family didn’t want to go back into the 

you don’t want to sound like when you review a 

and raised beds. He grew carrots, kale, corn, beans, house, but they went back to get clothes since it was 

Please come for dinner and/or drinks (there

business. At least you want it to get printed.

squash and more in his garden. “We grew 90% of our cold. Eventually, they all sat in the truck, and cooked 

is no cover charge, but the restaurant is hoping 

own produce,” says McLean. He learned how to garden some food on Coleman stoves for breakfast. Since there 

you’ll eat, drink or both). The performance begins 

Here’s where Yelp has come into question. 

by doing lots of reading and lots of experimenting. was no electricity, the family had no idea how bad the 

at 6:30 and goes until about 9:00. Reservations 

“Most of the work of gardening and producing your situation was beyond the canyon since they had no 

According to Mr. Lazarus of the LA Times, 

are recommended so call (626) 355-8444. April 

own food is in the preparation stages,” explains news. They got through that first day by cleaning up 

“…a number of small business owners said Yelp 

19th (day before Easter), 6:30, Peppertree Grill, 

McLean, who brought in horse and chicken manure the living room, planning to use it as the bedroom that 

had threatened to run negative reviews more 

322 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. See ya. 

and lots of mulch. “After two years, I could shove my night. But when night came, no one wanted to sleep, 
arm into my garden soil and it would go all the way up so they all piled into the truck and drove out of the 

prominently if they didn’t pay for advertising.” 

The Chief Executive of Yelp told the reporter, “… 

to my elbow,” he says with a laugh. Once his garden canyon to assess the damage.
was established, he could water it well in summer and 

 There was electricity in Hollywood, and other 

go away for two weeks. Upon returning, the garden 

places, and they learned about the range of the quake’s 

ALTADENA-PASADENA SOROPTIMISTS 

would be fine, even when it was very hot and dry. 

damage from scant news reports. The media focused 

EMPOWER WOMEN TO LIVE THEIR DREAMS 

 Though he grew no fruit trees, he was glad that he’d on a collapsed hospital, and the many bridges and 
produced an environment that would feed his family. overpasses that collapsed. “I believe there was much 
more widespread damage,” says McLean, “but we didn’t 

OTHER SUPPLIES

have the freeway through here then, and we didn’t have 
McLean wanted more than simply food preparation, the instant media that we have now.”
so he began to build up the family’s supply of camping 

 The family came back home, and spent the first night 

gear. “I already had a pickup truck with a camper on it, 

at home. The next day, since they had relatives in the 

and I began to purchase camping gear such as Coleman 

high desert, McLean took the family to the relatives and 

stoves, lanterns, sleeping bags, an ice chest, and even a 

then returned back to the house. But because so many 

porta-potty. And we always purchased our gear used, 

bridges and overpasses had collapsed, he only made it 

if possible,” he says. McLean explains that his family 

to the desert and back because he was so familiar with 

frequently went camping, and so the entire family was 

the old unused roads that were built before the freeway 

well-versed in what it took to live in the field and live 

to the desert was constructed. 

well. “We all knew how to camp,” says McLean 
THE CLEAN UP

LIGHTING 
McLean worked on cleaning up the house for the 

 Since his canyon home was somewhat remote, 

following week by himself. He noted that it took four 

it would lose electrical power for various reasons. 

days for the government emergency services to get to 

McLean purchased kerosene lamps for the home, 

the canyon bringing water supplies. It also took at least 

and eventually had 35 gallons of kerosene fuel stored. 

three weeks for the regular water supply to be restored, 

He felt that the kerosene lanterns would ensure a 

and at least that long for electricity to be restored. 

more-reliable long-term lighting than would battery


“The government can be very slow in reacting to 

operated lanterns. “Batteries can fail,” he commented. 

emergencies, but we had plenty of supplies in food and 

“Well, you can also run out of kerosene, but I felt that 

water,” he says. “I had a porta-potti, and I could bury 

the kerosene was a better choice.”

the contents in the yard when full. But our toilet was 
He continued to obtain kerosene lanterns (eventually actually on a septic system that still worked if I poured 
he had 6), extra tents, blankets, spaced out in the house, water into the bowl.” He had a total of 120 gallons of 

garage, and in his camper. His camper, fully equipped stored water, some of it in glass containers that did not 
for camping, had been customized with dual gas tanks, break because they were packed well. 
and had a range of about 800 miles. 


 “I took short baths with just a little water. I cooked 
WATERon the Coleman stoves with the food we’d stored. Plus, 
I didn’t just take care of myself. I shared food and water 
“We had our own water supply in the canyon, with neighbors. I showed neighbors how to get water 
supplied by artesian wells, but it always bothered me from the creek and boil it. It is still amazing to me 
that the water supply could be interrupted for various that some people didn’t know to do this. In general, 
reasons. So I always liked the fact that we had this everyone helped those who needed help. Perhaps the 

Story and Photo By Lynne Eodice 

stream behind the house,” says McLean. 
best thing we had going for us was that most of the 
neighbors knew each other. We had a community 

Four special women were in the spotlight at the “Live Your Dream” luncheon, sponsored by 

 Still, he began to store water. He obtained two 40 

center at the park, and there were regular meetings 

Soroptimist International of Altadena-Pasadena. This annual event, held this year on March 26th 

gallon barrels, and started to store water by filling up 

there with teen and adult activities. Knowing your 

at the Women’s City Club, celebrates the power of women who have made a difference in their 

used pop bottles (glass), with his goal being to supply 

neighbors is probably the best way to prepare for 

enough water for the entire family. He eventually 

community. 

emergencies, beside storing things and learning skills.”

obtained 10 of the large glass Sparkletts Water bottles 
The Soroptimists began the presentation ceremony by honoring Dr. Mikala Rahn with the 

for water storage. McLean stayed at the house for the first week after 
organization’s Ruby Award (named after Soroptimists’ first president, Ruby Lee Minar). This award 

the Sylmar earthquake, cleaning things up for the 

 He also collected rain water when he could. 

family to come back. The family came back a week 
or volunteer work. In 2008, Dr. Rahn founded Learning Works Charter School, which focuses on

recognizes women who have enriched the lives of women and girls through their professional and/

FOODlater, and everyone slept together in the living room. 
students who are often underserved by the mainstream educational system, including dropouts, 

Gas lines were out, so they cut their own firewood 
“We began to experiment with drying our own using hand saws. They walked up the canyon, and cut 

youths on probation, and pregnant teens. She also serves as Executive Director of Public Works, 

food, and we did so on old window screens. We put 

dead oak and sycamore branches and burned it in their 

an educational research firm focused on pre K-12 education, with extensive experience in the areas 

the sliced food on the screens, and put another screen living room fire place. 

of school reform, and is a co-founder of artWORKS, which offers the opportunity for youth to 

on top to keep off the flies. Some of these experiments 

participate in the visual and performing arts. 

didn’t work out, but mostly they did and we stored a lot Eventually, little by little, the utilities were restored 
of what we dried,” explains McLean. and life got back to normal. 

Two high school seniors, Gillian Ferguson of San Gabriel and Nicoletta Baffo of San Marino, wererecognized with the Violet Richardson award, named after the Soroptimists’ founder. This award 

 He then began to store canned goods, such as meats, “After the quake, I remember thinking, wow!, I did 
fruits, vegetables, and other items they used. “You the right thing,” says McLean. “Here I was preparing 

honors young women between the ages of 14 and 17 who have made the community a better place 

have to remember,” he says, “that we never had any maybe for war, for the Russians to bomb us, or maybe 

through their volunteer efforts. Gillian’s love of music and her experience as a drummer in her high 

extra money. I couldn’t go out and just buy a lot of for unemployment, but not for an earthquake like this. 

school marching band inspired her to create “Notes of Glory,” a community service project that 

stuff, even if I wanted to. I had 3 children, and was self-And I was very happy to be prepared.”

expands and enriches music opportunities for students at Eliot Middle School in Altadena. Gillian, 

employed. I would just spend a few extra dollars each 

(From left): Gina Baffo, VRA winner Nicoletta Baffo’s mother; Miriam Garcia, WOA winner;
Dr. Mikala Rahn, Ruby Award winner; and Gillian Ferguson, VRA winner – showing offhandbags presented to them by Hazel’s Bagz. 


who is also a Girl Scout, collected and donated gently used instruments from local families, and 
raised $400 in cookie sales to purchase band uniform pants. She stated in her acceptance speech, “Iwanted to earn my Gold award on percussion, because that’s my passion.” 

Nicoletta Baffo chose to give back to her church community by bringing her love of dance to helpyoung people express and explore their faith and to introduce the tradition of liturgical dance tothe church community – thus, her project, “A Soul’s Two Feet” was born. She established a dancescholarship at the Pasadena Civic Ballet Studio, which provided financial support for needy studentsattending Holy Family School. This scholarship enabled them to participate in dance classes and theopportunity to perform in two productions. Nicoletta was out of town at a dance camp and couldn’t 
attend the luncheon, but her mother Gina accepted the VRA award on her behalf. “Nikki couldn’t be 
here today because we sent her to meet her artistic dream,” said Ms. Baffo. 

Miriam Garcia was honored with the Soroptimist Women’s Opportunity Award, given to women 
who are overcoming personal difficulties and who provide the primary source of financial supportfor their families. WOA recipients are returning to school to better their lives, and the Soroptimistaward money helps them improve their education, skills and employment prospects. Miriam’s pastinvolves poverty and abandonment by a previous boyfriend. Today, as a single mom and sole providerfor two daughters and an ailing mother, she works full-time as a clerk at the Los Angeles CountyProbation Department. She plans to use the Soroptimist award money to further her education at 
the University of Phoenix, where she is pursuing a B.A. degree in Criminal Justice. When acceptingher award, she noted, “In the past, I have struggled to make ends meet.” However, Miriam is working 
towards a degree that will allow her to move into a position that will provide her and her family withgreater financial security and stability. Miriam thanked Altadena-Pasadena Soroptimists for helpingto turn her life around. 

Each of the honorees received cash awards, as well as special recognitions from the offices ofCongresswoman Judy Chu, Assemblyman Chris Holden, and Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard. 
Soroptimist member Hazel Salomon-Jimmy also presented each of the ladies with a stylish handbag. 

Soroptimist is an international volunteer organization working to improve the lives of women andgirls in local communities and around the world. For more information, visit www.soroptimist.org.

time I went shopping and would store a little more 
food. I never went out and made some big purchase. 
It was all done little by little, and I often purchased 
canned items when they were on sale.”

 As the first five years proceeded, McLean learned 
the need to label all his stored items, so that he would 
always use the oldest items first. 

THE TEST

 Then in 1971, the 7.1 Sylmar Earthquake hit. “As 
the crow flies, we were only about 5 miles from the 
epicenter of this quake,” explains McLean.

 It was early in the morning, about 5 a.m., 
and McLean pauses to recall the event. 
“The noise of the quake was deafening. I can’t even 
describe it. It was like being next to a train going by 
and you can’t hear your conversation, but multiply that 
by 1000. The earth was grinding and moving, and it 
was like a giant shock wave hit the house. It was like 
some giant had wrapped his hands around the house 
and shook it every which way. It was very much like 
being hit with a bomb. My first words when the quake 
began was ‘They got us,’ thinking we were hit by a 
Russian bomb.”

 But he just as instantly realized it was an earthquake. 
There was crashing in his house as stuff was falling 
everywhere, and he ran into the bedroom of his 
two youngest children, and while the house was still 
shaking, held one under each arm and ran them out of 
the house to a big field across the street. 

 “The house had four doors as exits, but I could only 
get one open because the others were jammed. So I 
took the two youngest to the field, set them down, 
and told them to stay. Then I ran back into the house, 
naked and barefoot, and got the older daughter out of 

 “To this day, my son still vividly recalls that 
earthquake,” says McLean. “That experience spurred 
me on to do even more extensive preparations. A 
disaster can be a job loss, a fire, anything. It’s important 
to know what to store, where to store things, and how 
to store them.”

 McLean explains how he continued to study self-
reliance and survival skills, and built up an extensive 
research library of over 600 books. “But all the books in 
the world are no good if you don’t put the information 
into practice,” he adds. “I got to the point where I had 
a whole room in storage, and if I didn’t have to go to the 
store for two years, I could have done that. We could 
have lived off the grid for two years, and I had back-ups 
systems for my back-ups,” he laughs. 

ADVICE

 According to McLean, “The most basic thing for 
people to do is to have at least a few weeks of food and 
water. Plan at least a gallon of water per person per 
day. And don’t store everything in one place, since you 
may not be able to get to your gear. Think through all 
your daily needs, make a list, and began to get your 
supplies for sleeping, shelter, eating, cooking, lighting 

– everything.” 
With the pride of a father, he points out that all 3 
of his children are very self-reliant today because they 
grew up that way, knowing how to camp and knowing 
how to deal with the needs of life. “Remember, I had 
to learn all this little by little, and we experimented,” 
he added. “Sure, we were also preparing for possible 
emergencies, but we all had a great time doing it.” 

YOUR AD COULD BE HERE!
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