Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, December 12, 2020

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Mountain View News Saturday, December 12, 2020 


PORTRAIT OF OUR NEIGHBORS By Stuart Tolchin

BRANDON EASTON


BEAUTIFUL “BUBBA”

BEAUTIFUL BOY! BUBBA is 
a gorgeous young cat! He was 
found as a stray kitten without 
his mother in an area full of 
coyotes. Luckily, a loving foster 
home took him in but the 
landlord won’t let them keep 
him. Bubba is a good kitten, 
very loving and playful. He’s beautiful and will make someone a 
wonderful pet. Bubba will come vetted and neutered. He’s only 
9 months old.

See our website’s Adoption Procedures page to apply. Can’t 
adopt? Please share and/or donate to our Giving Grid in honor 
of your own pet/s: https://www.givinggrid.com/gt2020/.

 I present the piece as an illustration of my 
basic thesis that even in these difficult restricted 
times interesting people pass by our front door. 
Now some of us have the time to get to know 
them a little better, perhaps contributing to a more 
acceptable mental inner place or even a better outer 
world. I spoke with, Brandon Easton, a professional 
screenwriter and educator now based in this area. 
He was born in Baltimore Maryland and still has a 
great attachment based on his boyhood experiences 
there. He has received numerous awards and honors 
and is known for his work in the comic book 
industry, writing on series like Judge Dredd, Spider-
Man, Vampire Hunter D and Closer to Heaven, the 
acclaimed biography of the late pro-wrestler Andre 
the Giant.

 Brandon’s career also spills into the realm 
of television, with credits on the 2011 WB reboot of 
Thundercats, Netflix’s hit new series Transformers: 
War for Cybertron, Marvel’s Agent Carter, Avengers 
Assemble: Black Panther and much more. One of 
my hopes in our conversation was to gain some 
understanding of this modern phenomena which 
reaches so many and perhaps has the potential to 
remedy present inequalities which negatively affect 
everybody. In the first moments of our conversation 
I immediately recognized a highly educated man 
with broad interests and knowledge in many fields. 
Speaking to him reminds me of speaking with 
scholars who possess a great depth of knowledge 
which left me with the desire to hear more. I was surprised to learn that Brandon had a very 
difficult, unstable childhood causing him at fifteen to leave home and reside with a friend. He 
still has concerns about the welfare of his mother and periodically returns to Baltimore to assist 
her. 

 The obvious question is- given such a difficult childhood how did he get to be who he 
is now? He obtained his undergraduate education from Ithaca College; a place he describes as 
being in the middle of nowhere in upstate New York. Why and how in the world did he end up 
there? “It was simple,” he explained, “because Ithaca offered the best financial aid package.” 

 As an African American student with no money and from a different geographical region, 
Brandon found himself at odds with the other students of color (who mainly hailed from NYC) 
and most of the financially privileged kids at Ithaca. Nevertheless, while there, he developed 
an insight which influenced the rest of his life. As he learned more of America’s disreputable 
history it gave birth to his writing voice combined with a greater sociological understanding. 
Subsequently he obtained a Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting from Boston University and 
second master’s from CUNY Lehman College in Secondary Social Studies Education. With new 
insights and educational qualifications, he hoped he could make a difference by teaching in 
New York public schools. During his six years there, he became aware of the almost inescapable 
disadvantages of attempting to reach already disillusioned students. He described the incredible 
disrespect for teachers now existing in the school resulting in a complete lack of discipline and 
a general experience of chaos. 

 Bravely, he came to Hollywood with the hope of becoming a screenwriter positively 
reaching young people and obtaining greater personal satisfaction. Despite numerous obstacles 
breaking into the scene, he managed to achieve his dream of becoming a professional writer. 
Before Covid, Brandon led multiple panels at major comic conventions discussing issues of 
racial discrimination in the entertainment industry. Certainly, there is much more to write about 
Brandon and his past and current adventures in Hollywood and I plan to do that in a future 
article. By the way, he and my daughter have been living together in a loving relationship for 
about ten years and are the parents of my sixteen month old granddaughter, the most wonderful 
person in the history of the Universe. 

You never know who’s going to pass your front door.


Pet of the Week

 
Two-year-old Bob is active, energetic, and loves 
attention! This handsome kitty would do best in 
a home with an experienced cat person who is 
not only savvy with cat body language, but can 
also give Bob all the mental stimulation (like 
puzzle feeders and lots of playtime) he needs to 
be happy. Bob is an enthusiastic guy who purrs 
when he’s touched and eagerly accepts treats. 
He has such a big personality!

 The adoption fee for cats is $90. All cat 
adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, 
and age-appropriate vaccines.

 New adopters will receive a 
complimentary health-and-wellness
exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as 
well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet.


 View photos of adoptable pets and schedule a virtual adoption appointment at 
pasadenahumane.org. Adoptions are by appointment only, and new adoption 
appointments are available every Monday at 10:00 a.m. for the following week. 
Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by 
phone calls or email.


TABLE FOR TWO by Peter Dills

thechefknows@yahoo.com

BUBBLES FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Reader Lydia Bangston the pride of Sierra Madre asked my opinion on a decent Prosecco, I hope I come 
through

I have found a light and refreshing wine with enough 
bubbles to enjoy and flavor that even a splash of orange 
juice won’t kill. Ruffino Prosecco has been produced 
from grapes grown in the hilly area of Valdobbiadene, 
which is the most historically vocated 
region for the production of Prosecco. Bright straw 
yellow with fine bubbles, the bouquet is fragrant and 
intensely fruity. It shows clean notes of apples, pears 
and citrus. I found it crisp, clean and yet delicate - a 
perfect wine for a toast at a celebration. Intense sensations 
of apples and peaches drive a pleasant aftertaste that is reminiscent of fruity and floral aromas.



Ideal as an aperitif; it is very versatile as a 
food companion. What to pair it with? Ruffino 
Prosecco matches well with fish and 
shellfish dishes as well as white meat dishes. 
I enjoyed this sparkler just this past weekend 
with a thin crust BBQ Chicken pizza. Others 
in this category would include Sofia Sparkling 
Wine and the previously written about 
Domain Chandon. I do recommend the Ruffino 
Prosecco for the toast and depending on 
the wedding or celebration menu at around 
$14(Vons Pasadena) you can’t go wrong. 
Again a touch of OJ or a sweet strawberry 
added and I won’t call party foul. Enjoy!!



Dills Score 89



Each week I will give you my Dills Score. I 
have added points for value. I’m starting with 
a base of 50 points; I added 8 points for color, 
8 points for aroma or “nose”, 8 points for 
taste, 7 points for finish, and 8 points for my 
overall impression, which includes my value 
rating.



Never miss a podcast!! Peter Dills please 
subscribe

Peter Dills

www.diningwithdills.com


PLEASE 

STAY SAFE!

WEAR A MASK! 


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