Mountain Views News          Saturday, January 30, 2016

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 30, 2016 


Walking Sierra Madre…The Social Side 

by Deanne Davis


“Everybody is going to be excited to play in a 
Super Bowl. When you still enjoy the preparation 
and the work part of it, I think you ought to still be 
doing that. I think as soon as I stop enjoying it, if 
I can’t produce, if I can’t help a team, that’s when 
I will stop playing.”

Peyton Manning

 Peyton must still be enjoying it because he’s 
going to the Super Bowl again when the Denver 
Broncos take on the Carolina Panthers on 
February 7th. Already the world is abuzz with 
Super Bowl chat. No, it’s not about who’s going 
to win, it’s what will the commercials be like, 
which big screen TV will we be invited to watch 
at and what will we bring to eat. We’re hoping our 
South Pasadena daughter, Patti, and her husband, 
Dave – huge football fans both of them with a 
movie screen size TV, will ask us to join them. I’m 
going to offer my world famous Chicken Tortilla 
Casserole and a bottle of Red Diamond Merlot.

 There’s one person who is not one little bit 
happy about the New England Patriots losing: 
my new friend, Bill Hobiak, who will celebrate 
his 100th birthday on February 17th. Bill is a total 
Patriots fan, a Tom Brady man, and I suspect he’s 
wearing a frown this morning. More about Bill in 
a week or so.

 Walking Sierra Madre, my fellow walk 
aficionado, John, and I pass three different houses 
which have been shuttered or enclosed, and look 
abandoned and unloved. Their grass is dead...
well, whose isn’t...their shrubs are withered and 
leafless and we wonder what happened. Years go 
by, we continue to walk by, and nothing changes. 
We knew the dear folks who lived in one of the 
houses, and our youngest daughter, Crissy, our 
Texas girl, would go down to visit when she was 
about three. Ruffled sunsuit, bare feet, braids 
flying behind her, she’d turn in their pathway and 
yell, “Hi Chuck!” Many children in the family, all 
grown and gone, but the house turns closed blinds 
to the street. Are these lonely houses peopled with 
friendly spirits who peek out the windows and 
wait for Halloween when someone might come 
up the walk again and ring the bell? Remember 
the movie with Charles Laughton, The Canterville 
Ghost, where Sir Simon de Canterville is forced to 
wander through the empty castle until, “a kinsman 
shall perform an act of bravery in his name.” It’s 
a great movie. Six-year old Margaret O’Brien is in 
it, along with Robert Young. You can get a DVD 
from Amazon for $17.49 and I think I will. 

 We found a new rose tree, a bare root and it’s 
putting out new little leaves on our front terrace. 
It’s a Floribunda, named “Gingersnap” and the 
tag describes it as: Dazzling orange buds open 
to unusual ruffled blooms. Glossy, dark green 
foliage, petal count 30-35. Now I ask you, does 
that sound beyond fantastic? As you may recall, I 
over-pruned the last one and caused its untimely 
demise. Got a tomato plant, too, and maybe this 
year we’ll actually get tomatoes. Succumbed to the 
irresistible lure of dinner-plate Dahlias in a red 
so red one needs sunglasses to look at the picture 
on the package. These are bulbs which haven’t 
gotten planted yet, but the sunny days this week 
will definitely call for some gardening. Have you 
pruned your roses yet? I’m contemplating ours. 
Picked the first Naval orange of the season and 
should have waited another week or two, still 
mouth-puckeringly tart. The succulents (pictured 
here) are doing the best and don’t care whether it 
rains or not!

 Deathtrap, now playing at our Playhouse, got a 
great review in the Star News last Sunday and you 
shouldn’t wait too long to get your tickets. They’ve 
already got several sold out dates! We’ve got ours 
and can’t wait to go.

 Sierra Briganti, as you may have noticed, has 
stopped serving lunch, which was one of my 
favorite things to do...sit outside with a friend or 
two, enjoy a glass of some really nice wine and look 
up at our own personal mountains. Zach Abeyta, 
the heart of Sierra Briganti, has sold this beautiful 
restaurant and will be looking into new projects 
for the future. Zach turned a rather ordinary 
place into something exceptionally beautiful, 
welcoming, and delicious. Sierra Briganti will still 
be under Zach’s management until mid-February 
so get yourself in for as many dinners as you can. 
The Insalata Rustica – Radicchio, Belgian Endive, 
Roasted Walnuts, Apple, Bacon, Tomatoes, 
Gorgonzola cheese and Caesar dressing is Top 
Chef quality and my favorite. As Heraclitus said 
some centuries ago, “There is nothing permanent 
except change.” 

 I’ll share my Chicken-Tortilla Super Bowl 
Casserole recipe next week. Meanwhile, plant 
something and remember Valentine’s Day 
is February 14th. “Love, your magic spell is 
everywhere!”

 Check out my book page on Amazon.com: 
DeanneDavis@Amazon.com

 

 You might like my blog, too: www.authordeanne.
com 

SIERRA MADRE POLICE DEPT.

During the week of Sunday, January 17th, to 
Sunday, January 24th, the Sierra Madre Police 
Department responded to approximately 286 calls 
for service. 

Tuesday, January 19th At 8:15 am, Sierra Madre 
Police responded to the 00 block of East Laurel 
Avenue regarding a vehicle theft report. Upon 
arrival, the Officers were informed by the victim 
that the day before she parked her vehicle around 
4:00 pm. The victim believed she had locked and 
secured her vehicle but she was not certain. The 
following morning she came out and discovered 
her driver’s front door ajar and when she inspected 
her vehicle she realized several items were missing 
that included keys cards to her business and cash. 
Officers inspected the vehicle and did not locate 
any signs of forced entry into the vehicle leading 
them to believe the vehicle was left unlocked. This 
case has been forwarded to the Detective Bureau. 

Thursday, January 21st At 11:00 pm, Sierra 
Madre Police responded to the area of South 
Mountain Trail and Sierra Madre Blvd regarding 
a welfare check on an elderly woman who was 
walking around in the roadway. Upon arrival, 
Officers made contact with the woman and noticed 
that her clothing was disheveled. Officers asked 
the woman if she needed help to which she replied 
yes and stated that she was lost and was trying to 
get home. The woman informed Officers that an 
unknown woman picked her up from her home 
and taken her to a bank to have her withdraw 
money, but when the elderly woman refused the 
younger woman dropped her off in the roadway 
and left. When asked if she knew where she was 
the woman stated she was in Lompoc and stated 
she had walked from Santa Barbara. Officers were 
able to determine the woman’s last known address 
was located in Pasadena but efforts to make 
contact with anyone at the address came up empty. 
Officers observed that the woman appeared to be 
very confused when answering simple questions 
and did not appear to understand that she was 
located in Sierra Madre. Due to her current 
situation of being unable to care for her safety and 
well-being, Officers transported the woman to a 
local hospital and placed her on a medical hold for 
further treatment and evaluation. 

Friday, January 22nd At 11:44 am, Sierra Madre 
Police were patrolling the area and was flagged 
down at the 200 block of West Carter Avenue by 
a man who stated his gardening tools were stolen 
from the back of his truck. The man informed 
Officers that he parked his truck in front of the 
location at around 11:30 and all his tools were 
accounted for. Fifteen minutes later he returned 
to his truck and discovered several of his tools 
were missing. The victim did not recall anyone 
being in the area at the time. This case has been 
forwarded to the Detective Bureau. 

Saturday, January 23rd At 2:44 am, Sierra 
Madre Police responded to the 100 block of North 
Mountain Trail due to a man interfering with 
the Sierra Madre Fire Department on a medical 
call. Upon arrival, Officers were informed by 
the on-duty fire captain and EMT that around 
2:27 am, they responded to the area regarding 
a seizure victim and while treating the victim, 
a neighbor entered the home and demanded 
that the paramedics turn off the ambulance and 
fire engine lights off so he could sleep. The fire 
department stated that they would turn them off 
as soon as they finished their lawful duties. Several 
minutes later the fire captain walked outside and 
noticed the ambulance lights were off, and noticed 
the neighbor trying to open the door of the fire 
engine. The captain yelled to the man, who quickly 
went inside his home. The captain spoke to all his 
personnel and confirmed that none of them had 
turned the lights off as they were busy treating 
the patient. The captain believed the neighbor 
unlawfully entered the ambulance and turned off 
the lights and was attempting to do the same with 
the engine before he was confronted. Officers were 
called to the scene to address the matter and when 
Officers and the fire captain knocked on the man’s 
door, he quickly opened the door and said he was 
trying to sleep and then shut the door. Officers 
attempted several more times and as before the 
man would only answer with short phrases before 
shutting his door. This case has been forwarded to 
the District Attorney’s Office for filing of willfully 
resisting, delaying, or obstructing an officer. 


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