Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, February 9, 2019

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Mountain View News Saturday, February 9, 2019 

KATIE Tse..........This and That

WALKING SIERRA MADRE by Deanne Davis


“The Power of Hope!”

HOPE! The Word For 2019

Weren’t you delighted to read that the President 
for the 2019-2020 Tournament of Roses year, 
Laura Farber, has selected “The Power of Hope” 
as the theme. “With Hope – anything, in fact, 
everything is possible,” she said. “Hope is more 
than simply the possibility of fulfillment. Hope is 
dignity and respect, joy and happiness, aspiration 
and achievement. Hope never, ever quits. Through 
hope, we can aspire to be our best and, in turn, 
inspire those around us to reach higher.” Wow! 
Hope is my favorite thing, as I’m sure you all know, 
and I can’t wait to see what our Sierra Madre Rose 
Float Association will do with Hope for this year’s 
float. It will be wonderful, I can guarantee that, and 
another prize winner, too.

 Aren’t you loving those lighted crosswalks we 
have now on Baldwin and Sierra Madre Blvd.? They 
make crossing safer and with the hordes of hungry 
school kids we have descending on Beantown, 
Starbucks and all the other eateries there around 
Kersting Court the minute school is out, safer is a 
great idea. 

 Have you been to the Creative Arts Group 2019 
Faculty Show yet? That place is such a treasure in 
our community. You can wander in there all day 
long and see beautiful creations that will touch 
your heart, mind and soul. Daughter, Leah, and I 
spent an hour last Friday looking at works of art 
of all sorts. First thing we saw, as always, before 
we even got in the door, was Lew Watanabe’s 
obelisk fountain, “Antiquity,” donated to Creative 
Arts by Lew in 2013 in honor of Jacki Raymond, 
Executive Director 1979-2013, for her service to 
the community. This fountain, even if you stand 
before it for just a moment, will calm your heart 
and prepare you for the beauty you will see inside.

 Right inside the door to the left is a display of 
goblets and glassware that are breathtaking in their 
designs and colors. On the wall directly across is a 
painting, “California Beauty,” part of a collection 
of Laura Wambsgans’ oil paintings. “California 
Beauty” portrays mountains, a clear stream, trees 
and a cloudless sky. I wanted it! Laura also has a 
fabulous ocean scene, “Pacific Blues.”

 Kristen Erickson’s ceramics, a selection of 
beautifully colored pots was next, featuring unusual 
color schemes and swirls. Gorgeous! Ken Roussin, 
Fold Forming & Enameling Instructor, is showing a 
series of exquisite leaf embellished pieces.

 I had to take a minute to remind myself that all 
the art pieces in this show are by the instructors so, 
of course, they are all flawless and beyond original 
and exquisite. Douglas Louie, Ceramics Instructor, 
is displaying colored bowls of different bright colors 
mounted on carved wooden stands. I wanted those, 
too. More unusual ceramics by Liz Strowbridge and 
Kiley Seoyen Choi, each a masterpiece of color, 
shape and versatility. 

 My good friend and superb artist, Lisa Agaran, 
Mixed Media Specialist, is showing several of her 
pieces, my favorite was “Haze At Mt. Fuji.” Lisa has 
workshops that are intriguing, exciting, amazing 
and frequently out of town in places like Cambria.

 Lilia Venier, Ceramics Instructor, filled shelves 
with droll, witty, whimsical pottery pieces, my 
favorite was a small, perfect teapot featuring colors 
galore, flowers and a bird on the handle. Yes, I 
wanted that, too.

 Jan Wright’s watercolors, Richard Scott’s 
drawings, Rob Sherrill’s watercolors and paintings, 
one of which featured the Colorado Street Bridge, 
which appeared in several other artists’ work also. 
The piece I just had to show in the picture is Gina 
Lawson Egan’s ceramic horse and rider. I know 
it’s not a unicorn, but it made me think of one, in 
honor of Arizona granddaughter, Emily.

 I’m running out of room, dear friends and 
neighbors, and I haven’t mentioned half of what I 
saw, not even half! Oh, the jewelry...oh, the jewelry 
by Vicki Matthieu, Frances Lai Wang, Dawn 
Zammitt Crandall and Ken Roussin was fabulous. 
Bottom line here, ya gotta go!! The Creative Arts 
Group Faculty Show will be available to see and lust 
over just till February 22nd so do not hesitate too 
long. You will be so glad you took a little time, first 
to stand in front of Lew’s “Antiquity,” and then see 
all the beauty inside Creative Arts. Creative Arts 
Group, in case you haven’t been there yet, is at 108 
No. Baldwin Ave. in Sierra Madre. And, yes, they 
have classes in everything imaginable in art. 626-
355-8350 if you want to call them. Go! Trust me!

 My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis – 
check out Noah & The Unicorns...or maybe The 
Vuillaume Violin

 Both available there, along with other goodies!

Star of Wonder the CD is now on TuneCore! Take 
a look!

 Blog: www.authordeanne.com

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

HOPE FOR PAWS

Do you have a dog and do 
you live in Sierra Madre? If 
you answered yes to those 
questions, you’ve probably 
met my mom, Mary Hopkins, 
winner of the unofficial Most 
Avid Dog Interest award. 

 I think it all started when she began walking more 
routinely with my dad in the mornings. My mom’s 
always been social, and she can’t pass up the opportunity 
to chat with other walkers, particularly when they’re 
holding a leash with a dog at the end of it. It doesn’t even 
have to be a cute dog. Just give my mom a dog and she’ll 
find questions to ask about it. The transcript usually goes 
like this:

 Mom: “Oh, what a cute 
dog!”

 Walker: “Thank you!”

 Mom: “What kind of dog is 
he?”

 Walker: “She’s a 
Cockeranian. A cross 
between a Cocker Spaniel 
and a Pomeranian.”

 [Dog wags tail rapidly and 
Mom reaches down to pet its 
head.]

 Mom: “What a nice dog... 
What’s her name?”

 Walker: “Her name’s 
Meredith.”

 [Mom still petting 
Meredith.]

 Mom: “Hellooo, Meredith! How old is she?”

 [Walker pauses to calculate age.]

 Walker: “She just turned three.”

 That’s not the end of the conversation, but you can 
see how it goes. Meanwhile Dad is waiting. My dad’s 
not anti-dog, he’s just pro-walk, and this happens every 
day... So all this latent dog interest was building up when 
my mom recently stumbled upon “Hope for Paws” on 
YouTube. 

 “Hope for Paws” is great! It combines two things we 
love --dogs and Israel. While not actually taking place 
in Israel, the founder, Eldad Hagar, is Israeli. He’s based 
out of LA and his mission is to rescue homeless and 
abandoned animals, mostly dogs. 

 Eldad explains that, because of dogs’ domestication 
over millennia, they’ve become dependant upon 
humans for survival. You can’t just drop a dog onto the 
streets and expect it to join a pack of coyotes or fend for 
itself.

 Some of the videos, MOST of the videos, simply break 
your heart! But you should still watch them, because the 
vast majority have happy endings. Eldad and his team 
of dog-loving women (who also happen to be beautiful) 
are tireless in their pursuit of animals reported to be 
in dangerous situations, whether that means they’re 
stranded on the inside lane of the 110 Freeway or trapped 
in a narrow drainpipe beneath the 5. (That’s happened 
before.) Eldad’s gone after 
animals in all sorts of tricky 
spots.

 Most of the animals are 
won over by the offer of 
cheeseburgers and quickly 
become compliant, and 
even affectionate, after 
they realize that Eldad 
and his team are there to 
help. What follows are vet 
examinations and relocation 
to adoptive families. That 
is the part my mom loves, 
the transformation from 
scrawny, flea and tick-ridden, 
frightened animals to sleek, 
healthy pets who bubble over with excitement when they 
are accepted into loving homes.

 Vet bills and travel are expensive though (people 
contact Eldad from all over the country), so if you’d 
like to donate to “Hope for Paws,” your money would 
be going to a very good cause. You can also purchase 
Eldad’s book, “Our Lives Have Gone to the Dogs.” My 
favorite line from it is a Native American tale of the 
origins of the earth, “God made the earth, the sky, the 
water, the moon and the sun. He made man and bird 
and beast. But He didn’t have to make the dog. He 
already had one.” 

 If that doesn’t make you smile, nothing will.


SIERRA MADRE PLAYHOUSE PLANS 

A BUSY 2019 SEASON

Sierra Madre Playhouse has plans for an action-packed 
year, with a full slate of mainstage shows in addition to 
bonus attractions.

First, the mainstage schedule:

February 23- March 31: Tuesdays with Morrie. Written 
by Jeffrey Hatcher and Mitch Albom. Based on the 
book by Mitch Albom. Directed by L. Flint Esquerra. 
Starring Larry Eisenberg and Jackson Kendall.

 Some lessons can’t be learned in school: The funny, 
true story of Mitch Albom and his former professor, 
Morrie Schwartz.

 “A touching, life-affirming, deeply emotional drama 
with a generous dose of humor.” ---N.Y. Daily News

 March 16- April 27: Stuart Little. Adapted by Joseph 
Robinette. Based on the book by E.B. White. Directed 
by Sierra Madre Playhouse Artistic Director Christian 
Lebano.

 Our 6th Annual Theater for Young Audiences 
offering- perfect for kids aged 4 to 10, and their families! 
The classic tale of Stuart, the mouse-sized boy, who sets 
off on adventures in a human-sized world. From the 
creator of Charlotte’s Web.

 “Stuart Little is high on energy and laughs and tells a 
delightful, relatable story for kids of all ages.”---Theater 
Guide

 June 15- July 21: Dames at Sea. Book and lyrics by 
George Haimsohn and Robin Miller. Music by Jim 
Wise. Directed by Joshua Finkel. Musical director: Sean 
Paxton. Choreographed by Jeffrey Scott Parsons.

 Will Ruby go out there a chorus girl, but come back 
a star? The answer is a resounding yes! Dames at Sea is 
a hilarious homage to the glamorous and hopeful 
musicals of the 1930s.

 “A winner! A gem of a musical!”---The New York 
Times

 August 23- September 29: The Joy Luck Club. Adapted 
by Susan Kim. Based on the book by Amy Tan. Directed 
by Tim Dang.

 Four Chinese-American mothers, four American-
born daughters, and the rich complexities of family 
ties and history as the eight women reach across a 
seemingly unbridgeable divide.

 “Blending hilarity and heartbreak, the play has 
moments both side-splitting and shattering.”---L.A. 
Times

 October 10- October 27: Little Women. Adapted and 
directed by Artistic Director Christian Lebano. Based 
on the book by Louisa May Alcott.

 A co-production between Sierra Madre Playhouse 
and California School for the Arts- San Gabriel Valley. 
The classic story of the March Sisters which has inspired 
women and girls for 150 years.

 “Even contemporary girls who can’t imagine wearing 
silk dresses or being too ladylike to run will identify 
with the March Sisters’ strong bonds and earnest efforts 
to overcome their faults.”---Common Sense Media

 November 30- December 29: Every Christmas 
Story Ever Told (and Then Some!) Written by Michael 
Carleton, Jim FitzGerald and John K. Alvarez. Original 
music by Will Knapp. Directed by Patrick Towne.

 Instead of performing Charles Dickens’ beloved 
holiday classic for the umpteenth time, actors decide 
to perform every Christmas story ever told -- plus 
Christmas traditions from around the world, seasonal 
icons from ancient times to topical pop-culture, and 
every carol ever sung. a madcap romp through the 
holiday season! An outrageous holiday romp for the 
whole family (except those who still believe in Santa!)

 “Takes the audience on a high-energy romp through 
a variety of Christmas traditions, holiday classics and 
songs. It’s incredible and difficult to describe, so get 
your tickets to experience it for yourself.”---Broadway 
World

 Bonus attractions:

 April 7: Wiesenthal. Written and performed by Tom 
Dugan. Directed by Jenny Sullivan.

 As Holocaust survivor and the world’s most 
renowned hunter of Nazi war criminals Simon 
Wiesenthal is about to retire, he recounts for an 
audience the stories of his most famous cases of 
bringing wrongdoers to justice.

 Winner- Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award.

 “Theatrical magic.”---Stage and Cinema

 April 5,6, 13, 14- Doris and Me: One Man’s Obsession 
with Doris Day. Written and performed by Scott Dreier. 
Directed by Richard Israel.

 “If you are a Doris Day fan, this show is a Must! If 
you aren’t, you will be by the end of this heart warming, 
entertaining and memorable evening!”---Broadway 
World Critic’s Pick

 PLUS: Off The Page, our series of FREE staged play 
readings:

 February 25: Intimate Apparel. Written by Lynn 
Nottage. Directed by Michael T. Kachingwe.

 A Black seamstress in New York in 1905 aspires to 
one day open her own beauty salon for a Black clientele.

 March 25: Sly Fox. Written by Larry Gelbart. Directed 
by Artistic Director Christian Lebano.

 In early 20th Century San Francisco, Foxwell J. Sly 
attempts to pull a con and grab the fortunes of three 
greedy opportunists. Based on Volpone by Ben Jonson.

April 22: Side Man by Warren Leight. Directed by 
Richard Van Slyke.

 A trumpet player and his son are confronted by the 
displacement of jazz by emergent rock-and-roll in a 
story spanning several decades.

 May 20: TBA. Directed by Stasha Surdyke.

 June 17: Book of Days by Lanford Wilson. Directed 
by Artsitic Director Christian Lebano.

 When murder roars through a small Missouri town, 
Ruth Hoch begins her own quest to find truth and 
honesty amid small town jealousies, religion, greed and 
lies.

 July 29: Light Up the Sky by Moss Hart. Directed by 
Barbara Schofield.

 When the Boston tryout of Peter’s new play gets off to 
a rocky start, some of his associates turn on him. When 
the play ultimately succeeds, it’s time for Peter to deliver 
some delicious payback in this comedy classic.

 Sierra Madre Playhouse is located at 87 W. Sierra 
Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024. This is just east 
of Pasadena. There is ample free parking on the street 
and in parking lots behind the Playhouse and across 
the street. There are several dining establishments just 
steps away. Reservations: (626) 355-4318 or go to www.
sierramadreplayhouse.org

SIERRA MADRE POLICE BLOTTER

During this period, the Sierra Madre Police 
Department responded to approximately 239 day 
and night time calls for service. 

Tuesday, January 29 A resident came into the 
Sierra Madre Police Department to report her 
vehicle had been tampered with. The victim’s 
vehicle was parked in a designated parking stall in 
the 300 block of N. Lima Street, from 1/28/19 at 
about 5:50PM to 1/29/1 at about 10:30AM. Case 
to Detectives 

 

Wednesday, January 30 A theft from a vehicle 
occurred in the 100 block of N. Canon Ave. The 
suspect(s) stole tools from an unsecured tool 
box in the bed of the truck. The suspect(s) also 
smashed the left rear window of the vehicle and 
took approximately $700 worth of power tools 
that were in the back seat in the cab of the truck. 
Case to Detectives 

Saturday, February 2 An illegal dumping of 
miscellaneous building supplies occurred outside 
of a business in the 200 block of W. Sierra Madre 
Blvd. that was later discovered to have been 
dumped by 4 men, driving a newer model pick-up 
truck, at about 9:05PM the evening of 2/1/19. Case 
to Detectives


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