Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, July 25, 2020

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, July 25, 2020 

WALKING SIERRA MADRE - The Social Side 

by Deanne Davis 

The Sierra Madre Fire Department responded to a variety of emergency 
calls during the weeks of July 5 – July 18 


“Life currently is very difficult. 
It’s like a 5,000 piece jigsaw 
puzzle…all sky!” 

“Parents are currently 
thinking, “I want to make a 
40,000 piece jigsaw puzzle for 
you. And when you finish it, 
it says Go Outside!” Demetri 
Martin 

“I’m so proud of myself! I 
finished a jigsaw puzzle in 
six months! The box said 2-4 
years.” 

So here we are, five months 
into the world having turned 
upside down and what are we 
doing? I find that, like me, a 
lot of people are doing jigsaw 
puzzles. My picture today is 
me and my granddaughter, 
Jessie, with our current 
finished puzzle. When I get 
stuck, she appears and inserts 
a few pieces that I could not 
fit to save my life and then I 
keep going. So far, I find I do 
best with around 550 pieces 
but I’m about to tackle a 750 
piece which should either 
keep me totally involved for 
weeks, or I’ll give up and 
shove it back in the box. Leah, my Sierra Madre daughter, shares puzzles with me and then I 
share them with Jay and Sarah, my next-door neighbors. They whiz through these things with 
tremendous speed while I just plod along. I see various friends on Facebook showing off their 
1,000 piece puzzles and I just say, “Wow! Awesome!” The thing about jigsaw puzzles is that it 
keeps me out of the refrigerator and I don’t watch quite as much TV. Turner Classic Movies 
showed Kirk Douglas’s 1960 masterpiece, “Spartacus” a day or two ago and I loved every single 
minute of it. But I’m never far from the Food Network. 

Remember “Planet of The Apes” and the dozens of sequels, prequels and remakes around that? 
I am beginning to feel like Sierra Madre, Arcadia and Monrovia are becoming “The Planet of 
The Bears.” My friend, Celia, had a bear break into her garage and create an unbelievable mess. 
My neighbor, Lisa Cardella, was shooting a bear in the face with a stream of water to make it get 
away from her yard, which was teeming with chickens, goats and children. And these creatures, 
now addicted to stale pizza and left-overs are wandering all over the place. Another friend, 
Rosalie Sorrels, who was a very successful singer, tale-teller and performed all over the world, 
sang a song John and I and his radio audience loved, “Waltzing With Bears.” 

“Our Uncle Walter’s not right in the head 
He’s been that way all his life, my mother said. 
It’s not that he’s violent or falls down the stairs 
It’s just he goes waltzing, waltzing with bears 
He goes wa wa wa waltzing, waltzing with bears 
Raggy bears, shaggy bears, baggy bears too. 
There’s nothing on earth Uncle Walter won’t do 
So he can go waltzing, wa wa wa waltzing 
He can go waltzing, waltzing with bears 


We gave Uncle Walter a new coat to wear 
When he came home it was covered with hair. 
Lately I’ve noticed several new tears 
I think Uncle Walter’s been waltzing with bears 
We told Uncle Walter that he should be good 
Do all the things that we think he should 
But I know that he’d rather be out in the wood 
I’m afraid we might lose Uncle Walter for good 
Well we begged and we pleaded, “Oh please won’t you stay” 
Managed to keep him at home for a day 
But the bears all barged in and they took him away 
Now he’s dancing with pandas, 
And he can’t understand us 
And the bears all demand at least one waltz a day. 

Not suggesting that anyone out there attempt to waltz with any of our local bears, but this song 
might make you smile under your facemask and maybe even laugh out loud. You can probably 
find it on YouTube done by somebody. Lyrics attributed to several people, including Dr. Seuss. 

“Always be full of joy in the Lord! I say it again, rejoice! Let everyone see that you are 
considerate in all you do. Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God 
what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which 
exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in 
Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is 
true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are 
excellent and worthy of praise.” Phil. 4:4-8 

This passage from Philippians, written by the Apostle Paul from prison, seems to be a blueprint 
for living for where we are right now and I’m reading it daily. Hope it encourages you, too. 

 Take care of yourself this week, dear friends and neighbors. 

Wear that mask joyfully and be kind. Just be kind. 

My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis 

Where you’ll find “Sunrises and Sunflowers Speak Hope” 

And “A Tablespoon of Love, A Tablespoon of Laughter” 

Both of these books are stuffed with hope and a good recipe or two. 

There’s a new Emma Gainsworth Kindle novelette on the way but you can 

Enjoy “Emma’s Etouffee Café” right now! It’s on Amazon.com, too. 

You can follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/@playwrightdd 


PLANT SALE 
FUNDRAISER! 

Support the Sierra Madre Rose Float 

Association by purchasing flowers, edibles, 
and succulents. 

Specialty plants including longevity spinach! 

Some fertilizer and tomato cages are available. 

9 am to 11 am every Saturday 

until plants run out! 

Check the website or updates 

YMCA Sierra Madre Recreation 

Center Garden 

611 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre 

(Enter on the east side at the northeast corner) 

Suggested donations start at $5.00 

Proceeds benefit SMRFA and the YMCA 

Masks and social distancing required 

We hope you’ll come support our non-profits 
and go home with some terrific new plants! 

Sierra Madre Rose Float Association 

587 E Sierra Madre Bl 

Sierra Madre CA 91024 

(626) 355-7005 

SIERRA MADRE POLICE BLOTTER 

July 12 to July 18, 2020 

 During this period the Sierra Madre Police Department 

responded to 233 calls for service. 

Burglary 

On 7/14/20 at about 6:11AM, an unknown man who walked onto the property of Valero gas 
station, shattered the glass to the front door, entered the business, took the cash register with 
cash inside, several packs of cigarettes, several lighters and left through the same door walking 
eastbound on Sierra Madre Boulevard. Case to Detectives - ARRESTED 

Hit and Run 

Officers dispatched to the 00 block of Esperanza Ave. for a report of a hit and run accident 
that occurred on 7/18/20 at 5:50PM. The resident stated that a vehicle parked behind him, 
struck his vehicle while leaving the parking stall causing damage to the driver’s side rear 
bumper. 

U.S. Mail Tampering 

A resident reported on 7/16/20 at 2:04AM in the 600 block of W. Sierra Madre Bl. that an 
unknown male was seen using a crowbar to pry open mailboxes. The subject was last seen 
leaving the complex carrying several boxes and possibly some mail. Case to Detectives 

Vehicle vs Bicyclist 

At 5:47PM on 7/16/20 officers responded to the area of E. Sierra Madre Bl. and Rancho Rd. to 
the report of a collision between a vehicle and a bicyclist. The cyclist was treated and taken to 
a local hospital by the Sierra Madre Fire Department with no other injuries reported. 

Traffic Collision 

A traffic collision occurred at the intersection of W. Orange Grove Ave and Michillinda Ave. 
on 7/18/20 at about 9:22AM. Both drivers refused medical treatment as there were no injuries 
and the drivers exchanged information. 


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