Mountain Views News          Saturday, January 24, 2015

3


Mountain View News Saturday, January 24, 2015 

THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

Walking Sierra Madre…The Social Side 

by Deanne Davis


It has been a couple of years since this incident 
occurred but I can still recall what happened vividly.

My daughter had been wanting a car. She was 
constantly looking through Craigslist for something 
sporty or a muscle car in her price range.

She had me driving to obscurity to look at vehicles 
that personally I did not like but she loved.

I advised her not to purchase a vintage red porsche 
for $2500. She bought it anyway. We had it towed to 
our house.

Then it had to be towed to the Porsche repair shop for 
more work.

It finally came out of the shop and home several 
weeks later. It still needed many more repairs but it 
was supposed to be operating.

We decided to drive it on a short errand to Pavillions 
in Arcadia.

When we were ready to leave the store, the car would 
not start.So we left it for awhile. We went to look 
around at some of the stores that are located in the 
mall and give it an opportunity regroup.

When we came back to the car it started.I was grateful 
to not have to wait for a tow truck.

We started driving it back towards Sierra Madre and 
it was obvious the car was not running well.

I was hopeful that we might make it home but just as 
we got to the light at Foothill Blvd and Baldwin Ave, 
the car just stopped.

This had never happened 
to me with any of the 
vehicles I owned in the 
past.We were stranded 
on a busy street and I 
did not know what to 
do at all.This is when 
the most unbelievable 
thing occurred.I see 
a man running towards me,he was wearing a 
shirt that said “Italia”on it and it was light blue.I 
remember thinking, “ Oh,there is a jogger” and the 
how the moment felt surreal but he was not a jogger.
He was running towards me to help.He told me to get 
into the car and steer it.Then a woman came from I 
really don’t know where.She had been driving a van.
If I remember correctly.She together with the man 
in the light blue shirt and my daughter pushed that 
heavy vehicle north on Baldwin Ave.I watched them 
push it out of harms way through the mirror as I 
steered it.

Then they both just ran off and the woman just 
said,”May God Bless You”.

It was a very unreal experience but I remember it 
clearly as if it were yesterday.

Submitted by Lina Johnson

“Chess helps you to concentrate, improve your 
logic. It teaches you to play by the rules and 
take responsibility for your actions, how to 
problem solve in an uncertain environment.” 

Gary Kasparov

 I don’t know if a lot of you remember that 
great movie from 1968, “The Thomas Crown 
Affair” starring Steve McQueen and Faye 
Dunaway, but the chess scene in that movie 
was incredible. If you haven’t seen it, you can 
probably get it on YouTube. Let’s just say – 
Memorable. Boy, was it memorable! Why are 
you bringing that up, you ask? Well, walking 
Sierra Madre a few days ago, my walking 
buddy, John, and I noticed a new sign out 
in front of 90 No. Baldwin Ave. There was a 
picture of a chess piece and the name, “The 
King’s Gambit.” Needless to say, we were 
curious. Happily, we’ve unearthed another 
treasure. Danny Machuca, who is well on his 
way to becoming a Chess Master, has been here 
in Sierra Madre for six months or so, teaching 
chess to children in our area and to a number 
of their parents, too. Teaching for seven years, 
he is now at Class A, and time permitting, 
as what it takes to become a Master is to 
consistently beat other Masters, he will soon 
be one. He has competed in the World Open 
in Philadelphia and brings students to the 
Super Stakes Tournament in Valencia, which 
takes place in March.

 Danny has a nice chess studio there at 90 
No. Baldwin in Suite 5. There is a computer 
where he can check his students’ online games 
and homework and make notes for them 
on what they could do better next time. He 
also does lessons on Skype! One of his Sierra 
Madre families moved to New York but their 
seven year old chess enthusiast and his dad 
just couldn’t face a life without chess lessons 
with Danny, hence, Skype. Danny is hoping to 
expand on his Skype clients so he could reach 
folks in other time zones around the world. So 
far, his business has grown strictly by word of 
mouth, but he’s now got a Groupon campaign 
going and there’s that sign out front. Group 
lessons are available as are private lessons.

 Danny’s first student is still with him, 
six years now. He has been teaching chess 
at Chandler School for three years and has 
contact with about 200 chess students each 
week. If you can imagine this, one of Danny’s 
students is a little guy, just 4-1/2 years old, who 
loves his weekly lesson, which is usually about 
half an hour as Danny wants him to walk away 
wanting more each time. I learned there is 
a lot more to chess than just moving pieces 
on the board. Chess teaches patience, focus, 
concentration and the fact that you need more 
than one good idea to play an effective game. 
Most of his kids stay with their lessons for two 
or three years, some drop off when they get into 
high school, but many come back as adults. 
When the Chandler chess team competes at 
the annual tournament in Valencia, they come 
home with at least one trophy, which is really 
exciting. Danny is also involved with Beyond 
Chess in Temple City. He even offers what I 
guess we could call ‘competition cram’ for 
chess players about to enter a tournament.

 “Chess is an infinitely complex game, which 
one can play in infinitely numerous 

and varied ways.” Vladimir Kramnik

 Asking Danny how all this started, he 
said that his grandfather was a tremendous 
influence on his early life, teaching him soccer 
when the sun was out and chess when it rained. 
His parents are property owners here in town 
and when he decided to set up his own studio, 
where else would he go. Like all the rest of us, 
he loves Sierra Madre and is planning to be a 
resident in the near future. As a kid he wasn’t 
all chess all the time, being more interested in 
soccer and martial arts, but as he grew older, 
he came back to it and loves what he does. If 
you’ve ever thought about mastering chess, 
you’ve got a perfect opportunity right here.

 The King’s Gambit is available for lessons 
weekdays from 2:00 to 8 or 9 p.m. and 
weekends, noon to 6:30. Lessons are usually 
an hour, with home private lessons available, 
too. You can call or text Danny at (818) 903-
3576. Email: dannychessteacher@yahoo.com

 Hey Walking Sierra Madre friends…. 

Check out my book page: Deanne Davis @ 
Amazon.com

 My book: Tablespoon of Love, Tablespoon 
of Laughter is a great Valentine’s Day gift!

THE FRIENDS OF THE SIERRA MADRE LIBRARY

The Friends of the Sierra Madre Library announce that 
their next Best Used Book Sale will take place Friday, 
February 6th (3-7 p.m.) and Saturday, February 7th (10 
a.m.-2 p.m.). This sale will feature VINTAGE and 
COLLECTIBLE books. Available will be editions 
of classic literature titles, early editions of children’s 
books, including Nancy Drew and Bobbsey Twin books 
from the 1930’s and 1940’s. Several collectible sets are 
also featured, including The New Nature Library from 
the early 1900’s with wonderful vintage illustrations. 
There also will be a shelf of collectible books signed by 
authors, including David McCullough. 

 Large-scale “coffee-table” books will be shown on 
the table in the basement. They include wonderful 
volumes on history, cooking, culture, and art. 
Contemporary fiction and non-fiction, many best-
sellers, will also be available on the table.

 The parking lot will feature a large, new donation 
of paperback thrillers which will sell for 25 cents each 
or 5 for $1.00. Children’s books will sell for 25 cents - 
$1.00 and of course, we will have our Bargain Books 
(fiction and non-fiction) for $1.00 each. 

 The sale will be held at the rear of the library located 
at 440 West Sierra Madre Blvd. Come early to stock up 
and save. Mark your calendars for The Best Used Book 
Sale on Friday, August 1st, from 3-7p.m., and Saturday, 
August 2nd, from 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. sponsored by 
the Friends of the Sierra Madre Library. All proceeds 
benefit the programs and resources of the Sierra Madre 
Library. For more information on the Friends’ group 
please contact the Library at 626-355-7186 or on the 
Friends’ website at sierramadrelibraryfriends.org

SIERRA MADRE GATEWAY COACH ROUTE CHANGE

 The City of Sierra Madre in partnership with First Transit adjusted the Gateway Coach fixed route transportation 
line beginning January 5, 2015. In place of the previous Albertsons stop on the fixed transportation route, the 
Gateway Coach now makes a scheduled stop at the Ralphs in Hastings Ranch. The other stops along the route 
will remain the same.

 The Gateway Coach operates Monday through Friday from 11:00am-1:30pm and stops at various locations 
throughout the City. The transportation service is offered at no cost for all ages. For more information on stop 
location and times, please contact the Community Services Department at 355-7135.


Submissions are due by February 6th, 2015.

Mike Matthiessen, President of the 2016 
Tournament of Roses, announced the Official 
Theme for the Rose Parade on January 15th. The 
parade theme is:

“Find Your Adventure”

“This theme has grown out of a unique 
relationship between the Pasadena Tournament 
of Roses and the U.S. National Park Service. The 
2016 Rose Parade will help shine light on the 
centennial celebration of our nation’s national 
parks. As proponents of the American spirit, we 
encourage people to find beauty in the landscape 
that builds the backdrop of their lives. From 
coast-to-coast, we will add stories of adventure 
to our collection while protecting our unique 
heritage and looking to the future.

 The 2016 Rose Parade has grown out of a unique 
partnership between the United States National 
Park Service and the Pasadena Tournament of 
Roses Association.

Both organizations aim to:

• Celebrate history

• Create awareness

• Encourage individuals to get engaged

Whether visting or learning, everyone’s 
definition of “Adventure” can be different:

• Educational

• Environmental

• Wellness & Recreation

• History

• Community

 

So put on your thinking caps and put your 
thoughts to paper!! 

Go to SMRoseFloat.org and download the forms.

CONTRIBUTE A DESIGN FOR THE

2016 SIERRA MADRE ROSE FLOAT

Sierra Madre Police Blotter

During the week of Sunday, January 11th, to 
Sunday, January 18th, the Sierra Madre Police 
Department responded to approximately 337 
calls for service.

Monday, January 12th

 Sierra Madre Police responded to the station 
lobby regarding an identity theft report. Upon 
arrival, Officers were informed by the victim 
that he had recently received a notification via 
email by his credit card company about the 
use of his card and his wife’s card. The victim 
stated that neither he nor his wife had been 
using the cards. Shortly sometime after, the 
victim received a call from a bank regarding 
a joint account that someone was attempting 
to open using his name and identification. The 
victim closed all accounts involved and did not 
suffer any monetary loss at this time. This case 
has been forwarded to the Detectives Bureau.

At 7:22 pm, Sierra Madre Police responded 
to the 200 Block of Grove Street regarding 
a theft report. Upon arrival, Officers were 
informed by the victim that after being in 
jail for the last nine months, she returned 
home to discover some of her belongings were 
missing. As the victim started to investigate 
further, she discovered her jewelry, clothing, 
and electronics were also missing. The victim 
spoke with her spouse regarding the missing 
property and was informed that a house guest 
who visited while the victim was away, had 
stated that she was going to steal some of the 
victim’s belonging because she deserved it. The 
victim provided a list of stolen items to Officers. 
Upon investigating the house guest, Officers 
discovered she had been arrested and was 
found to be in possession of stolen property, 
one of which was a work identification card 
belonging to the victim. This case has been 
forwarded to the Detectives Bureau. 

Wednesday, January 14th

 At 1:50 pm, Sierra Madre Police responded 
to the station lobby regarding a theft report. 
The victim informed Officers that back on 
December 19th, he parked his vehicle in his 
driveway and failed to lock it. Several days 
later, he returned to his vehicle and noticed 
several items were missing and his vehicle 
had been ransacked. Several items including 
his cellphone, leather bag, and check book 
were stolen. The victim decided not to report 
the incident to Police because he felt his items 
would not be found. Then on the morning of 
the January 14th, he discovered two checks 
had been cashed for $200 using his stolen 
checks. After reviewing a copy of the checks, 
the victim stated they were signed using a 
women’s name. The victim was reimbursed by 
the bank for the money that was stolen from 
his account. This case has been forwarded to 
the Detectives Bureau.

Friday, January 16th

At 2:45 pm, Sierra Madre Police responded to 
the 1900 Block of Oakwood Ave. regarding 
a residential burglary report. Upon arrival, 
Officers were informed by the victim that 15 
minutes prior to notifying the authorities he 
had come home to realize on of his closets 
were open and had appeared to be rummaged 
through. As the victim continued through 
his house, he noticed several rooms had been 
ransacked and that the rear sliding glass door 
was wide open. While investigating the home’s 
area, Officers discovered an open window with 
the screen on left in the dirt below. It appeared 
the subjects entered the residence through 
the window and used the bathtub ledge as a 
step into the home. The victim was unable to 
describe what was missing at the time. This 
case has been forwarded to the Detectives 
Bureau. 

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