HAT’S OFF TO OUR YOUTH..................PAGES 6 & 7 


SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 2014 
VOLUME 8 NO. 23 
CONGRATULATIONS DICK JOHNSON, SIERRA 
MADRE’S OLDER AMERICAN OF THE YEAR 


THIS SOLDIER STILL REMEMBERS D-DAY 


Do you know him? 


On Friday, June 6, 2014, the United States and 
its World War II allies, celebrated the 70th 
anniversary of D-Day and honored the men 
and women who fought for freedom in that 
conflice.

 “In 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops 
landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-
fortified French coastline, to fight Nazi 
Germany on the beaches of Normandy, 
France. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower called the 
operation a crusade in which, “we will accept 
nothing less than full victory.” More than 
5,000 Ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the 
D-Day invasion, and by day’s end, the Allies 
gained a foot-hold in Continental Europe. The 
cost in lives on D-Day was high. More than 
9,000 Allied Soldiers were killed or wounded, 
but their sacrifice allowed more than 100,000 
Soldiers to begin the slow, hard slog across 
Europe, to defeat Adolf Hitler’s crack troops.” 

(Source: www.army.mil)

 In addition to those troops on land, thousands 
of other U.S. soldiers were ready in various 
locations around the globe to support the 
effort. Several of those men and women still 
live in our midst today. 

 One of these brave soldiers spoke with the 
Mountain Views News and shared where he 

was on that fateful day. He was on board the U.S.S. Saratoga which was in the Indian Ocean 

awaiting further instructions. “I heard about the invasion on the ship and remember how happy 

everyone was that we had landed.”

 President Barack Obama address veterans and heads of every allied nation Friday and noted, 
“Normandy represents democracy’s beachhead, in honor of the invasion which was a turning 
point in World War II. He said it was “not just a century but shaped the security and well being 
of all posterity.”

 Our thanks goes out to all of our servicemen and women, past and present, for putting our well 
being before their own lives.

 Now, regarding the young man in the photo, turn to page 3 and see if you recognize him.

 S. Henderson/MVNews 
Longtime Sierra Madre resident, Richard “Dick” Johnson, (shown above with his wife Elva), was 
serenaded by family and friends last Friday evening when the Sierra Madre Senior Community 
Commission and the city’s Community Services Commission honored him as the Sierra Madre 
Older American of the Year. 

Johnson. a retired aerospace engineer, has made many contributions to Sierra Madre in the 50 plus 
years he has lived here, including his service as Chairman for the Annual Art Fair, President of the 
Historical Preservation Society, and a Library Board Trustee. In addition, he has volunteered for the 
local AYSO, coached Sierra Madre Little League and Pony League teams, and presently serves as a 
Board of Trustee for the Sierra Madre United Methodist Church. 

Each year the President of the United States, the Governor of California and the Los Angeles County 
Board of Supervisors designate the month of May as Older American Month. Johnson was also 
recognized in a county wide event with other recipients of the honor by the Los Angeles County 
Board of Supervisors in May. MVNews/Photo courtesy City of Sierra Madre 


DROUGHT CONDITIONS BRING LOCAL 
WILDLIFE UNCOMFORTABLY CLOSE

 For the most part, Sierra Madrean’s have 

WHAT TO DO IN THE 

learned to live with our wildlife. and most 
residents know what to do when our friends EVENT OF A SNAKE BITE come to visit. However, in Friday’s Town Hall 

Though uncommon, rattlesnake bites do 

meeting sponsored by Chief Larry Giannone 

occur, so have a plan in place for responding 

and the Sierra Madre Police Department, 

to any situation. Carry a portable phone, 

those in attendance were informed that there 

hike with a companion who can assist in an 

had been several incidents involving a new (to 

emergency, and make sure that family or 

the neighborhood) animal. Rattlesnakes! 

friends know where you are going and when 
The presentation, which covered several you will be checking in. 
other topics, reminded residents what to do 

The first thing to do if bitten is to stay 

if they see a bear, or a coyote, or a mountain 

calm. Generally, the most serious effect of 

lion. To date, there have been no harmful 

a rattlesnake bite to an adult is local tissue 

confrontations with any of those animals and damage which needs to be treated. Children, 
humans. However, there have been several because they are smaller, are in more danger 

rattlesnake bites of late, and one resident was if they are bitten. 
still hospitalized.

Get to a doctor as soon as possible, but stay 

 Giannone informed the audience that calm. Frenetic, high-speed driving places 
the lack of food and water was bringing the victim at greater risk of an accident and 
animals further down into the city. And the increased heart rate. If the doctor is more than 
rattlesnakes, unlike bears, mountain lions and 30 minutes away, keep the bite below the heart, 
coyotes are usually hard to spot.and then try to get to the doctor as quickly as 

possible. 

 He told of one incident where the snake was 
resting inside a coiled garden hose. In another The California Poison Control Center advises: 
case, the snake was hidden in a pile of logs.Stay calm 

 He cautioned residents to be careful and if Wash the bite area gently with soap and 
they are ever bitten by a rattlesnake, call 911 water 
and keep the area of the bite lower than your 

Remove watches, rings, etc, which may 

heart.

constrict swelling 
Bears have been making more frequent 


Immobilize the affected area 

appearances and have been going further 

Transport safely to the nearest medical 

into town than ever before. He cautioned 

facility 

that bears “are used to people”, however our 
actions generally start the commotion.For more first aid information please 

visit California Poison Control. 

 Mountain lions have also 
been spotted more frequently. 
In the last week, a deer was 
killed in Bailey Canyon not 
far from the parking lot by 
a Mountain Lion. The deer 
was found by a hiker. The 
mountain lion was not.

 A good source of information 
on how to live with our 
wildlife can be found at the 
California Department of 
Fish and Game’s website: 

http://www.dfg.ca.gov

 IF YOU SPOT ANY OF 
THESE ANIMALS, CALL 
THE SMPD. THE ANIMALS 
WILL BE RETURNED TO 
THE WILD.