3
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
|