Mountain Views News     Logo: MVNews     Saturday, April 25, 2015

MVNews this week:  Page 3

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Mountain View News Saturday, April 25, 2015 

Walking Sierra Madre…The Social Side by Deanne Davis

SIERRA MADRE POLICE BLOTTER

“A little bit of this town goes a very long way!” Hunter S. Thompson

“Las Vegas, all the amenities of modern society in a habitat unfit to 
grow a tomato.” Jason Love

Why, you’re wondering, is Walking Sierra Madre talking about 
Las Vegas? Well, friends and neighbors, my convention-going, best 
walking partner, John, and I spent the last few days in Las Vegas 
attending the National Association of Broadcasters Convention 
(John conventioned and I hit the outlet stores). And, yes, we had a 
very good time. Having attended this particular event for many years, 
we know what to do; we go as quickly as possible to the Bellagio Hotel 
and spend an hour in their Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. It’s 
hard to believe the creativity behind this display, and each time we 
go it’s completely different. It’s like the Rose Parade only it’s standing 
still. And the tulips! There are thousands and thousands of tulips in 
every conceivable color. Banks of tulips, fields of tulips. There are 
daffodils, chrysanthemums, and the artistry is beyond anything 
most of us could imagine.

 Currently, the Botanical Gardens is featuring a show entitled 
Spring Celebration. Think cherry blossom time in Japan with 
enormous faux cherry trees covered with acrylic blossoms. A huge 
turtle covered in flowers which are replaced every three days, by 
hand! Streams of water passing under bridges, an enormous crane, 
wings spread, ready for flight. An six foot tall Faberge egg created 
of flowers, umbrellas suspended from the high glass ceiling and 
everywhere you look, people are silently admiring, taking pictures, 
wide-eyed and appreciative. If you happen to be walking Las Vegas, 
take an hour or so to feed your soul. The Botanical Gardens are free 
and open 24/7. The exhibit changes four times a year to celebrate the 
changing seasons.

 Looking forward to next month when I’ll be chatting with Lew 
and Joyce Watanabe, dear friends of Sierra Madre. Joyce says tax time 
and eye surgery are taking up all their time and after her cataract is 
gone and her new glasses are on hand they’ll be ready to tell us all 
their adventures.

 Getting home from Las Vegas, I realized I wanted comfort food 
and this is definitely it, one of those recipes that you can make 
five million times and nobody ever gets tired of it. It’s quick, 
relatively inexpensive, kids love it, and you can serve it with tomato 
soup and everyone who sits down with a couple of these will go, 
“Ahhhhhhhhhh…..” guaranteed! We call it…

Cheese Toasties

1 lb. Tillamook cheese (now that you can buy it, pre-grated, 
in a bag at the market, this is an even more attractive dish.)

2 cans chopped black olives (small cans)

1 can chopped green chiles (Ortega) ( small can, unless you 
really love chiles!)

2 cans tomato sauce

1 Tb. Vinegar

Mix together, chill three hours, if you’ve got three hours. But we 
always wanted it NOW and it works just fine on that basis.

Spread on sourdough bread and put under the broiler till it’s melted 
and slightly browned.

You can use any kind of sharpish cheese, I think Pepper Jack would 
be fantastic with this.

Don’t think too much about calories, just enjoy it. Remember, life is 
short and dessert should be eaten first.

 My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis

Blog: www.authordeanne.com 

 “Tablespoon of Love, Tablespoon of Laughter” is available there…

During the week of Sunday, April 12th, to Sunday, April 19th, the 
Sierra Madre Police Department responded to approximately 403 
calls for service.

Friday, April 17th

At 3:13 pm, Sierra Madre Police responded to the 100 block of North 
Lima St regarding a possible burglary in progress. Upon arrival 
Officers were informed that the reporting party had been driving 
by her driveway when she noticed an unknown male standing in a 
driveway. She confronted the suspect and asked what he was doing, 
to which he replied he was cleaning windows for the property owner. 
The woman decided to call the property owner to confirm and while 
doing so, she looked back to see the suspect riding away on a blue 
mountain bike. The suspect was described as a Male, White standing 
6 ft. tall with a thin build. The suspect was carrying tools and a small 
pocket knife. Officers were unable to locate the suspect. This case has 
been forwarded to the Detectives Bureau. 

Saturday, April 18th

At 7:10 am, Sierra Madre Police responded to the 100 block of North 
Lima St. regarding a burglary report. Upon arrival Officers were 
informed by the victim that his storage locker had been broken into. 
The victim stated he came out earlier that morning to his car port, 
and discovered his storage locker wide open with his tool kit missing 
which is valued at more than $100.00. The unknown suspect(s) gained 
access to the storage locker by cutting and removing the padlock on 
the locker. This case has been forwarded to the Detectives Bureau. 

 At 12:30 pm, Sierra Madre Police responded to the 2000 Block 
of North Santa Anita Avenue regarding a vandalism report. Upon 
arrival, the victim informed Officers that the night prior, he had 
parked and secured his vehicle. When he had walked out to his 
vehicle the following afternoon, he noticed a small crack on the top 
portion of his windshield. In addition, the victim also discovered 
similar damage to one of his bedroom windows. Upon inspection, 
Officers were able to determine that the damage caused matched that 
of a “BB” gun round. This case has been forwarded to the Detectives 
Bureau. 


THE NATIONAL 
LETTER CARRIER 

FOOD DRIVE

Let’s stamp Out Hunger 
Together

SATURDAY, 

MAY 9, 2015

Volunteer support is needed to 
receive and pack the donated food items at post offices in 
Duarte, Monrovia, Altadena, Pasadena, San Marino and 
Sierra Madre. This is a great opportunity for youth and 
adult volunteers!

Please register online at www.foothillunitycenter.org 

Thank you for all your support and assistance.

Foothill Unity Center Inc. 

Volunteer Services Department


PRESERVE SIERRA MADRE TO SPEAK AT 
KIWANIS, TUESDAY, APRIL 28th AT 7 a.m.

 Have breakfast with the Sierra Madre Kiwanis Club and hear 
from the organizer of Preserve Sierra Madre, Matthew Bryant. 
The organization has been very vocal in speaking out against 
over development in the city.

 The meeting will be held at The Lodge (formerly Masonic 
Temple), 33 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Breakfast will be served at 7 
a.m. at a cost of $7.50. The presentation is fee. Call 626-355-
0728 to reserve your seat.


On the Marquee: Notes from the Sierra MadrePlayhouse

THANK YOU JUNE CHANDLER


By Christian Lebano

Artistic Director

It is with sadness that the 
Playhouse has said goodbye to 
June Chandler’s “For the Love 
of Acting” classes which she 
has decided to discontinue. 
She began offering adult acting 
classes in 2002. June has been 
associated with us in various 
ways since she appeared in a 
production of Neil Simon’s The 
Good Doctor in the 1981-1982 
season. She went on to direct 
that same play in 2007. 

In 2009, she and her husband, 
Randy, started Fairy Tale 
Theater, a series of Saturday 
morning children’s plays. The 
actors came from her acting 
classes. Fairy Tale Theater was 
very popular with children, their 
parents, and grandparents who 
came just to see the kids enjoy 
themselves. June wrote the 
scripts, recruited and rehearsed 
the actors, and, with Randy 
and their longtime friend, 
Kathy, came up with some 
very imaginative costumes and 
props. Each Saturday morning, 
they decorated the proscenium 
for a single performance and 
struck it afterward. Randy ran 
lights and sound and did most 
of the setup and strike ladder 
work. As fun as it was, it was 
a great deal of work, and they 
stopped a couple of years ago. 

June has been very supportive 
of me and the changes we’ve 
been making at the Playhouse 
over the last couple of years. 
I’m hoping that though she 
won’t be offering her classes 
anymore that she will continue 
to work with us as we grow 
and evolve. Thank you, June 
Chandler for all you’ve done for 
the Playhouse over the years!

. . . .

The set is going in now for The 
Odd Couple. The count-down 
to opening begins. Much to 
do in the next few weeks. Our 
wonderful cast will have that 
great first day on the set they 
will be living on for the next two 
months but have only imagined 
in a rehearsal hall. I love those 
first rehearsals on set – so much 
changes and solidifies. Then we 
have our technical (lights and 
sound) and dress rehearsals 
(putting on costumes for the 
first time is another big boost 
to a production – as is seeing 
your fellow actors in something 
other than the rehearsal clothes 
you’ve gotten used to.) And 
then, of course, the cast has 
those first audiences to look 
forward to – so important 
when playing a comedy. There 
is nothing like getting those 
first validating laughs for lines 
you knew were supposed to be 
funny but have been saying in 
empty rooms!

Remember we give 20% 
discounts for groups of 10 or 
more who purchase their tickets 
ahead of their attendance date. 
Please call Mary Baville at 
626.355.4318 to arrange your 
purchase. This is one play you 
won’t want to miss.

As always we do it for you – our 
SMP family – whose support 
and loyalty mean so much to 
us and for whom we hope we 
bring pleasure and joy and 
moving experiences in the 
theater. Please let me know 
how you think we are doing. 
Reach me at ArtisticDirector@
SierraMadrePlayhouse.org