Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, October 27, 2018

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Mountain View News Saturday, October 27, 2018 

WALKING SIERRA MADRE... The Social Side By Deanne Davis

CHARLIE KISSINGER, BELOVED 
SIERRA MADRE ICON PASSES AWAY

Charles “Charlie” Fox 
Kissinger, a well-known 
member of the Sierra 
Madre community, has 
died. He passed away 
peacefully at home after 
a valiant battle with 
cancer on Tuesday at the 
age of 72. He is survived 
by his wife Kim Clymer-
Kelley Kissinger.

Charlie was born in 
Wisconsin to Raymond 
Frances Kissinger of 
Vancouver, British 
Columbia and Laura 
Vivian Fox Kissinger of 
Wisconsin. His family 
moved to Sierra Madre 
in 1956 and for his 
childhood and most 
of his adult life, Sierra 
Madre was his home. 
He is preceded in death 
by his parents and sister.

In a reflection by his wife, Kim Clymer-Kelley Kissinger, “Charlie was an icon in this town... definitely 
“one of a kind”, smart, fun, interesting, “jack of all trades”, knowledgeable of so many things, generous, 
caring, kind, funny (in his quirky, often inappropriate, punny kind of way), adventurous, peace- loving, 
nature loving, community- minded, and principled man”, he was all that and much more.”

Yes, Charlie was the epitome of a true Sierra Madrean. A regular fixture at Beantown and Kersting 
Court. Before health challenges slowed him down, he could be seen walking with his friend Michael 
from one end of town to the other. He was an advocate for maintaining the quality of life in Sierra 
Madre, especially in the canyons, often bringing important issues to the attention of city leaders.

For years on Thanksgiving and more recently on Christmas Day, Charlie was by Kim’s side hosting 
a traditional Holiday dinner free to the community at Mary’s Market. An effort is underway, in 
coordination with city staff, to install a Charlie Kissinger Memorial Bench and Seating Area “on the 
corner he worked so hard to keep clean”. Donations to support this effort may be left at Mary’s Market, 
561 Woodland Drive, Sierra Madre. 

As Charlie was also a passionate lover of the outdoors and nature, In lieu of flowers, donations can 
also be made to his favorite wildlife area – The Southern Utah Wilderness. (Go to: https://suwa.org). 

A memorial gathering for Charlie will be held at Mary’s Market at 4pm on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018. 
Friends are encouraged to bring their music and best Charlie memories. 

S, Henderson/MVNews

“Halloween is a lifestyle...not a holiday!

“Keep calm and carry garlic!”

“When witches go riding and black cats are seen, 
the moon laughs and whispers...

...tis near Halloween.”

 

All Hallows Eve...Be Afraid...Be Very Afraid!

All Hallows Eve.... is coming,

A deadly.... dreadly night.....

When ghouls and ghosts and creepies,

And other awful blights,

Are free to roam and wander,

Anywhere they might.

Creating scary terror everywhere they can,

And scream inducing, faint-producing, 

hair-raising, bone-melting, 

What’s that right there behind me...

Quivery, shivery...Fright!!

 

They creep out of their crypts and graves,

These creatures of the night.

They haunt the roads and byways,

Run rampant through the park.

They hide between the bushes,

And everywhere it’s dark.

 

All Hallows Eve.... is coming,

A deadly.... dreadly night.....

When ghouls and ghosts and creepies,

And other awful blights,

Are free to roam and wander,

Anywhere they might.

 

Up and down the streets of town,

They race in search of plunder,

These ghouls and ghosts and monsters,

About three feet tall or under! 

They shriek for treats and threaten tricks,

But are satisfied with candy.

These creatures rule the darkness,

As long as Mom and Dad are handy.

 

All Hallows Eve.... is coming,

A deadly.....dreadly night....

With ghouls and ghosts and monsters,

And other awful sights,

Dancing through the shadows,

Into circles of street lights. 

Beware...take care,

Who knows what’s waiting,

Just around the bend.

Could be Jack the Ripper, come to call again,

Or Dracula or Frankenstein, the undead walk 
tonight.

Maybe just stay safe inside...and turn off that porch 
light.

And to scare you just a bit more...another taste of 
Emma Gainsworth and her ongoing encounters 
with...dare I say it...Pumpkins!

“Emma Gainsworth woke with a heart-pounding 
start, her pizza-fueled nightmare as gruesomely 
vivid as a CSI crime scene. Willing her heart to stop 
the jack-hammer thing and her breath to slow to a 
more reasonable rate, Emma reviewed the dream 
which had brought her to sweaty wakefulness...
Queen Pumpkinetta running two of her four hands 
through her pumpkin-innards hair seated on the 
Louis Quatorze slipper chair, just to the right of her 
bed. Couldn’t be. Couldn’t possibly be. It’s what I get 
for eating a pepperoni-sausage pizza and drinking 
way too much Miller Lite at midnight. No way, 
there’s just no way. OK, Emma, man up and take 
a look. Slowly rolling her head to the right, Emma 
prepared herself for the worst.” To be continued....

My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis

Blog: www.authordeanne.com

Kindle readers, give yourself the gift of the Emma 
Gainsworth Adventures:

“Just Dessert: A Fall Fantasy” – “The Intergalactic 
Pumpkin Battle” – “The Lost Amulets”

 They’re on Amazon.com on my book page!

Follow me on Twitter, too! https://twitter.com/@
playwrightdd


Sierra Madre Icon Charlie Kissinger and wife Kim in Oregon. 
Photo courtesy of Pam Kelly

ARE YOU READY FOR A SIERRA MADRE HALLOWEEN?

October is one of the best months to be in Sierra 
Madre. The weather is-hopefully-cooling down, 
fall decorations are being put up everywhere, and 
most importantly, competitions like the Scarecrow 
Festival and the Window Painting competition 
are going on. Having all of the scarecrows and the 
paintings all over Sierra Madre makes the town feel 
extra festive every year. 

 Well, October is almost over, and that means 
that the winners of the Scarecrow Festival have 
been announced. Hopefully, everyone in town 
had a chance to walk around the city and take a 
look at the scarecrows this year. For anyone new 
to town, every year the Creative Arts Group puts 
on a Scarecrow Festival. Residents, businesses, 
and organizations can all enter. Contestants must 
design a scarecrow and write a short story about 

their scarecrow. 

 This year there were some fantastic entries. 
Mother Madre won best in show. She was a beautiful 
scarecrow, surrounded by the animals and plants 
that she protects. Worthington had a wonderful 
story: he was a scarecrow who discovered that 
he could protect the land from forest fires. Sierra 
Madre certainly could use Worthington in the 
summer!

 Some of the most fun entries every year are the 
scarecrows designed by local children. This year, 
Flaky the Witch taught everyone the importance 
of taking some time to eat, and the Crow Twins 
reminded the town that work and play can go 
together. 

 Window painting will be starting soon, so make 
sure to see the scarecrows before they are gone! 

R. Wright/MVNews

 
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