SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2014 
VOLUME 8 NO. 20 
SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2014 
VOLUME 8 NO. 20 
WALKING SIERRA MADRE…… 

The Social Side By Deanne Davis 

“You’ve got to go out on a 
limb sometimes because 
that’s where the fruit is.” 
Will Rogers 

“Taste every fruit of 
every tree in the garden 
at least once. It is an 
insult to creation not 
to experience it fully.” 
Stephen Fry 

“I make sure I get a lot of 
vegetables, a lot of fruit. I 
am a big fruit man; I am a 
vegetable man, anyway.” 
Magic Johnson 

Just got back from 
visiting the Texas family 
and discovered that the 
Jacarandas are blooming! 
Purple clouds all over 
town, growing more 
beautiful and dense by the day. Look up! They are everywhere, 
peeking out from behind oaks and peppers, lifting the spirits and 
pleasing the eye just by being exquisitely and unashamedly…
purple! 


We have an exciting new business! i-fruggie, right next door to 
the new Subway, is up and running. The ever inquisitive and 
ready to explore John and I stopped in the other day and met 
Jerrod, the owner, and discovered he has come up with a really 
neat new concept. You’ve got to go in there and check it out! 
Here’s what it is: i-fruggi is short for individualized fruit and 
veggie. It’s the first beverage company that puts you in charge of 
designing and creating your own personal individualized fruit 
or veggie beverage. You select the type of either fruit, veggie, or 
veggie/fruit combo along with other ingredients you’re in the 
mood for and you select them yourself off a computer screen! 
There are four screens in i-fruggi for you to tap in your order. 
Jerrod, a registered dietitian, has always wanted to create a tool 
that not only educated consumers on making informed decisions, 
but was fun, cool, and totally interactive! This is the most unique 
touch screen fruit and veggie beverage software you can imagine. 
You just choose any ingredient by selecting the on-screen icon, 
and build your beverage by flavor, shape, color, texture, nutrition, 
or any way you want it! Jerrod offers 16 oz. cold fruit-veggie 
beverages for take-out only and here’s another neat thing: As 
you customize your i-fruggi, you also create your personalized 
nutrition food label. 

Just think! There you are dying for something good that you can 
customize to fit your mood and won’t take forever to get, or you’re 
trying to take hungry, cranky kids to soccer practice and they 
need something delicious and nutritious that’s not loaded with 
sugar. i-fruggie! Yes, you CAN have it your way! Fresh fruits and 
veggies, no sugar, no corn syrup. Too good to be true? Nope! It’s 
right there at 146 W. Sierra Madre. Just think of popping in to 
Subway for a Breakfast Bacon Egg & Cheese, or your Steak Egg 
& Cheese, or the Sunrise Subway Melt at 7:00 a.m. then go right 
next door and get an i-fruggie to go with it! Instead of a Diet 
Coke, treat yourself to an i-fruggie. The staff at i-fruggie are all 
Sierra Madre young people and you might recognize someone 
you know when you stop in to create the best drink you ever had! 

“It is difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating 
a homegrown tomato.” 

Lewis Grizzard 

Or maybe having a couple of them added to your i-fruggie!
Ummmm… or a beet or two and possibly an orange for zest!
Can’t wait to have another one! 

SIERRA MADRE’S CHASE RETTIG SIGNS WITH THE 
GREEN BAY PACKERS 

On Saturday, May 10th, long time Sierra Madre resident 
Chase Rettig took one step closer to fulfilling his dream of 
being an NFL Quarterback. He signed a rookie contract to 
play quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. Chase is the son 
of Mark and Carol Rettig, and along with his brothers Riley 
and Hayden grew up in Sierra Madre, and will always call it 
his hometown. He was just a normal Sierra Madre kid who 
loved playing baseball at Heasely and Dapper, hanging out in 
Kersting Court and to this day still looks forward to competing 
with family and friends for the biggest catch at Hunk Finn Day. 
Whenever back in town, you can catch Chase visiting teachers 
and friends at St. Rita, or taking in his cousin’s Sierra Madre 
Little League games or stopping by the Bottle Shop to catch up 
with great friends. 

 Chase spent the last four years as the starting quarterback 
at Boston College. When his college career ended he held 
the longest current consecutive start streak of any college 
quarterback in the nation, and started a total of 46 games for 
the BC Eagles. His durability at the position was remarkable, 
considering the less than perfect conditions he endured 
throughout his career at Boston College. He was one of the 
only stable pillars at BC where he played for five offensive Photo courtesy Boston College 


legendary and current head coach Randy 
Davies, and helped lead the Raiders to the 
Los Angeles CYO Championship Game 
back in 2006. (**insert quote from Randy 
here**) He continued developing his 
talent and passion at La Salle High School 
through his junior season, before finishing 
his high school career at San Clemente HS. 
He committed to Boston College between 
his junior and senior seasons. As a true 
freshman at BC, Chase started his first 
collegiate game and threw his first college 
touchdown pass against Notre Dame, in 
front of a national television audience in 
2010.

 Chase knows that growing up in Sierra 
Madre has helped prepare him for his new 
adventure in Green Bay, Wisconsin. On 
Saturday night he was the star attraction 
at a local and impromptu celebration with 
family and friends at the Pepper Tree Grill. 
Chase insists he is going to a town just like 
Sierra Madre, except they have an NFL 
team, and it gets a little bit colder. Chase 
took to the microphone to thank all in 
attendance for their unwavering support, 
love and friendship over the years. He ended 


Family and Friends celebrate at The Peppertree. 

coordinators, four qb position coaches and two head coaches. 
Yet, through it all, he met each season’s challenge and went on to 
become the fourth most prolific passer in Boston College history, 
behind the likes of Doug Flutie and Matt Ryan. Chase is the only 
BC quarterback to ever have passed for 3000 yards in a single 
season, as just a junior. Chase graduated from Boston College in 
December, and has spent the past four months training locally for 
the opportunity to play in the NFL. Leading up to the NFL Draft 
one NFC team personnel scout referring to Chase said, “He’s been 
through holy hell,” and continued with... “I love his physical and 
mental toughness because the guy’s been through the ringer as far 
as getting hit. He is tough.”

 Rettig started his QB career locally at St Rita’s, playing for 

a brief speech by professing his love for the 

City of Sierra Madre, which ignited his raucous and excited 
supporters who cheered “Go Pack Go!”, the enduring cheer of 
Green Bay Packer fans worldwide. [In an interview Saturday night 
with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Chase was quoted as saying] 
“You try to figure out the best situation,” Rettig said Saturday 
night. “My agent (Carter Chow) felt strongly it was a great place 
to be. “I made a good decision and I’m honored to be a part of the 
Packers’ organization. I’m just excited to get there and work with 
some of the best coaches at the professional level.” 

It was confirmed early Sunday morning that Chase was at LAX 
before 6:00am, ready to board his flight to Minneapolis with a 
connection onto Green Bay. As always with Chase, he was laser-
focused on starting his first entry level job out of college, as a 
member of the Green Bay Packers. 


2014 MOUNT WILSON TRAIL RACE = ACTIVITIES FOR ALL TO ENJOY 


Come join in the excitement of the 2014 Mount Wilson Trail 
Race! The sold-out race will take off Saturday, May 24 at 7:30 

a.m. If you are not running the race, there is still plenty to 
enjoy in Kersting Court including vendor booths, the Beer 
Garden, MWTR souvenirs and the Kids’ Fun Run. 
MWTR Pasta Dinner - May 23, 2014All are welcome to enjoy the Pre-Race pasta dinner providedby StoneFire Grill on Friday, May 23 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 

p.m. in Kersting Court at the corner of Sierra Madre Blvd.
and Baldwin Ave. The dinner costs $7.50 with partialproceeds benefiting the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue team.
Attendees can also learn about trail history through a docentled slide show, take part in a raffle, and purchase MountWilson Trail Race souvenirs. Souvenirs available for purchase 
include T-Shirts from previous years, visors, beanies, mugs 
(diner-style), socks, hooded sweatshirts, car stickers, bottleopeners, and high quality T-Shirts different from the raceshirts (NEW this year!). This is also an opportunity for racers 
to pick up their race bibs and T-shirts, and youth to sign upfor the Kids’ Fun Run. 
MWTR Kids’ Fun Run - May 24, 2014Don’t miss the 9th annual Kids’ Fun Run sponsored by the Sierra Madre Community Foundation and CATZ. The Kids’ Fun Run isan absolutely free event for youth 3-12 years of age. The Kid’s Fun Run will begin at 7:45 a.m. on Saturday, May 24. Youth will have 
the opportunity to run up and down Baldwin Avenue and finish under the same banner as MWTR runners! Youth 3-6 years of agewill turnaround at Highland Avenue, while youth 7-12 will turnaround at Mira Monte. All participants must sign up with a parent or 
guardian on Friday evening during the Pasta Dinner or beginning at 7:00 a.m. race day morning. The first 250 youth to sign up will 
receive a free T-shirt and participation ribbon compliments of the Sierra Madre Community Foundation. 

MWTR Beer Garden - May 24, 2014Following the race, runners and non-runners can enjoy a brew or two while sharing their race stories at the Beer Garden. The Beer 
Garden is sponsored by the Spero Foundation and will be held from 9:00 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. in Kersting Court. Beers on tap include 
Mission Blonde from San Diego and Humboldt Nectar IPA from Paso Robles. Proceeds are donated to Sierra Madre Search and Rescue. 

MWTR Vendors in Kersting Court - May 24, 2014Various vendors will be on display in Kersting Court for all to enjoy. 2014 Vendors include: Team CrossFit Academy, Run With Us, 
Center for Wellbeing, Joe Pacilio – Century 21 Earll Ltd., HealthCare Partners, Methodist Hospital, San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water 
District, Sierra Madre Historical Preservation Society, Mt. Wilson Trail History, Jill Liston Jewelry, Village Vine Radio, Holly Street 
Wealth, Sierra Madre Community Foundation, and Mount Wilson Trail Race Souvenirs. 

For more information about any of the events associated with the Mount Wilson Trail Race please contact the Community Services 
Department at 626-355-5278.