Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, July 24, 2021

8 Mountain View News Saturday, July 24, 2021 8 Mountain View News Saturday, July 24, 2021 
MEET JADAH & JULIE 

Are you looking for a very sweet, 
inseparable pair of tabby sisters? 
Well, here they are! These little 
ones were strays in someone’s yard 
before we rescued them. Now they 
are being lovingly fostered until 
they will be adopted—soon, we 
hope, because you wouldn’t want 
to miss out on their adorable kit


ten antics and cuddles. Jadah is a 
brown tabby, while her sister is a rarer blue (gray) tabby. Adopt 
them together, please. They will come vetted, spayed, tested negative, 
and microchipped. See our Adoption Procedures page to apply. 
Submit your application now at www.lifelineforpets.org. 


Pet of the Week 

 
Penelope is an energetic dog who loves being outside andsplashing around in her doggy pool! This beautiful dog isone year old and would do best in active home that canprovide her with lots of fun and enrichment. Penelope isspecifically looking for a home where she can be cared forin the safety of an enclosed yard with ample food, water,
shelter, and love. If you can provide Penelope with a safeoutdoor home and all the attention and care she needs, shemay be the ideal dog for you!

The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog adoptionsinclude spay or neuter, microchip, and age-appropriatevaccines.

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

 
View photos of adoptable pets and schedule an adoption appointment at pasadenahumane. 
org. Adoptions are by appointment only, and new adoption appointments are available 
every Sunday and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.

 Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters byphone calls or email. 

CHRISTOPHER Nyerges
SCHOOL DIRECTORY 

Alverno Heights Academy

200 N. Michillinda Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-3463 Head of School: Julia V. FanaraE-mail address: jfanara@alvernoheights.org 
Arcadia Christian School 

1900 S. Santa Anita Avenue Arcadia, CA 91006Preschool - and TK - 8th Grade 
626-574-8229/626-574-0805Email: inquiry@acslions.comPrincipal: Cindy Harmonwebsite: www.acslions.com 

Arcadia High School

180 Campus Drive Arcadia, CA 91007Phone: (626) 821-8370, Principal: Brent Forseebforsee@ausd.net 

Arroyo Pacific Academy

41 W. Santa Clara St. Arcadia, Ca,

(626) 294-0661 Principal: Phil ClarkeE-mail address: pclarke@arroyopacific.org 
Barnhart School 

240 W. Colorado Blvd Arcadia, Ca. 91007 
(626) 446-5588Head of School: Tonya BeilsteinKindergarten - 8th gradewebsite: www.barnhartschool.org 

Bethany Christian School

93 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 
(626) 355-3527Preschool-TK-8th Grade 
Principal: Dr. William Walnerwebsite: www. bcslions.org 

Clairbourn School 

8400 Huntington DriveSan Gabriel, CA 91775Phone: 626-286-3108 ext. 172 
FAX: 626-286-1528 
E-mail: jhawes@clairbourn.org 

Holy Family Catholic School

1301 Rollin Street South Pasadena Ca 91030 
(626) 799-4354 •
Transitional Kindergarten - 8th GradePrincipal: Mrs. Jennifer GarziaWebsite: www.school.holyfamily.orgEmail: info@holyfamily.orgFacebook & Instagram @HFSKnights 

Foothill Oaks Academy

822 E. Bradbourne Ave., Duarte, CA 91010(626) 301-9809Principal: Nancy Lopezwww.foothilloaksacademy.orgoffice@foothilloaksacademy.org 

Frostig School

971 N. Altadena Drive Pasadena, CA 91107 
(626) 791-1255Head of School: Jenny Janetzke 
Email: jenny@frostig.org 

The Gooden School 

192 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 
(626) 355-2410

Head of School, Jo-Anne Woolner 

website: www.goodenschool.org 

High Point Academy

1720 Kinneloa Canyon RoadPasadena, Ca. 91107 
Head of School: Gary Stern 626-798-8989 
website: www.highpointacademy.org 

La Salle College Preparatory

3880 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca. 

(626) 351-8951 website: www.lasallehs.org 
Principal Mrs. Courtney Kassakhian 
Monrovia High School

325 East Huntington Drive, Monrovia, CA 91016

(626) 471-2800 Principal Darvin JacksonEmail: schools@monrovia.k12.ca.us 
Odyssey Charter School

725 W. Altadena Dr. Altadena, Ca. 91001

(626) 229-0993 Head of School: Lauren O’Neillwebsite: www.odysseycharterschool.org 
Pasadena High School

2925 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca.

(626) 396-5880 Principal: Roberto Hernandezwebsite: http://phs.pusd.us 
St. Rita Catholic School 

322 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024Principal: Adela Solis (626) 355-6114solis@st-ritaschool.orgWebsite: www.st-ritaschool.org 

Sierra Madre Elementary School

141 W. Highland Ave, Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-1428 Principal: Lindsay LUISE-mail address: LUIS.lindsay@pusd.us 
Sierra Madre Middle School 

160 N. Canon Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 836-2947 Principal: Garrett NewsomE-mail address: newsom.garrett@pusd.us 
Walden School 

74 S San Gabriel Blvd 
Pasadena, CA 91107 (626) 792-6166www.waldenschool.net 

Weizmann Day School

1434 N. Altadena Dr. Pasadena, Ca. 91107(626) 797-0204Lisa Feldman: Head of School 

Wilson Middle School 

300 S. Madre St. Pasadena, Ca. 91107

(626) 449-7390 Principal: Ruth EsselnE-mail address: resseln@pusd.us 
Pasadena Unified School District 

351 S. Hudson Ave., Pasadena, Ca. 91109

(626) 396-3600 Website: www.pusd@pusd.us 
Arcadia Unified School District 

234 Campus Dr., Arcadia, Ca. 91007 

(626) 821-8300 Website: www.ausd.net 
Monrovia Unified School District 

325 E. Huntington Dr., Monrovia, Ca. 91016 
(626) 471-2000Website: www.monroviaschools.net 

Duarte Unified School District 

1620 Huntington Dr., Duarte, Ca. 91010 
(626)599-5000Website: www.duarte.k12.ca.us 

[Nyerges is the author of many books, and teaches classes. His web site is www.
SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com] 

Not long ago, our class was finishing a day-long field trip of practicing outdoor 

survival and self-reliance skills, and our small group was now sitting around 

the fire talking. The subject moved to emergency action plans, and what con


tingencies any of us had in the aftermath of a major disas-ter. 
“So how would all of you ever get together after a major disaster?” one woman asked me. She was 
somewhat new to the classes, and was well-aware that our small group comprised a broad spectrum 
of skills, from people who worked to be ethical, socially-conscious, and doers, not just talkers. I could 
tell she was wondering about how our “group” might actually come together in such a scenario. She 
actually believed that this diverse collection of people from all over actually constituted a “group.” 
“We probably would have no way to get together,” I offered. “Of course, there is no predicting the 
future, but if we couldn’t use a car, and couldn’t get gas, and there was chaos on the streets, in the first 
few weeks, we’d almost certainly have to stay put wherever we’re living.” My re-sponse pre-supposed a 
serious disaster where all social services would be disrupted.
I’ve long recommended that people get to know their immediate neighbors, because they are your 
“family” in the aftermath of a major disaster, like it or not. Think global, as the saying goes, but act local. 
Enroll in local CERT training, and be active in Neighborhood Watch.
The woman then asked me, sort of a question and comment combined, “Well, don’t you have a tight 
survival group of people who would all come together in an emergency?” I knew she was thinking of 
how she might organize such a group where she lived, and I knew that she believed I have organized, 
or been a part of, such a secret or public “group.” She probably assumed I had a hidden underground 
bunker somewhere. 
I live in the northern section of Los Angeles County. The mountains are immediately to my north, but 
otherwise there is urban sprawl and freeways in all directions. In our class that day, the woman asking 
the questions had driven about a hundred miles, from San Bernardino County from the east. Three 
people had come over a hundred miles, from the high desert. One other per-son was local, and the rest 
lived between 30 and 45 minutes by car from me. We were all spread out. There was no way that this 
diverse group would ever come together in the sort of disaster (and end of the functioning of normal 
society) that she was envisioning.
I explained that I have worked with many “groups” over the years, often with the focus of work-ing together 
to survive a disaster. “Your best bet is to work with your own family to make each person strong, 
healthy, and self-reliant,” I told her, “and to work with your local community to improve things.”’ 
In the planning sessions of which I’ve been a part, there are always “great ideas” from everyone, and 
countless scenarios are discussed about what might occur. However, in the real life, things never go 
that way. Any “group” might have one natural leader, even though there is an appointed or elected 
leader. That’s a problem. Sometimes the elected leader is not the natural leader, and so the group fractures 
or dissolves. There are also lots of lazy people, people who want to be a part of something but 
who are more talk than walk. Lazy and idealistic people have spelled the doom of many an alternative 
community.
I shared the experiences of a friend of mine who was part of an intentional eco-living community of 
under 20 people. It was all run very democratically and members would vote for “great ideas” but my 
friend found that the work required to do certain things was not being done. The group voted for having 
a dog, and chicken, and rabbits, all of which require daily regular care, and then some. My friend 
learned that “the group” never does anything – only individuals do work. My friend found that he 
was the one cleaning up after the dog, emptying the compost, taking care of the chickens, and eventually 
he left because he got tired of doing everyone else’s work in the supposedly idealistic ecological 
community. 

HOW TO ORGANIZE FOR EMERGENCIES: 

Is having a “survival group” a good idea? 

CAN WE REALLY ALL GET TO A COMMON LOCATION? 
Getting back to the woman’s question about the practical aspects of a small tight group getting together 
after a disaster, what else can go wrong with the “group” that plans to get together? For one thing, the 
ability to spring into action after an emergency requires the maintenance of physi-cal fitness, and requires 
at least some level of economic autonomy, and knowing how to live one’s life so that you are, in 
fact, able to rise to the occasion of a severe emergency. The concept of such a survival group is not a 
passive concept. In order to be viable, it must be alive, dynamic, and involve regular training of some 
sort.

 So, as a practical matter that I have observed in smaller groups, there is the fact that people like to 
pick-off the leader, and endlessly criticize. I have watched countless “leaders” whose job end-ed up being 
mostly defending the countless criticisms. Then the members of the presumed “sur-vival group” 
form groups and clash among themselves, akin to “The Lord of the Flies.” Then some get girlfriends 
or boyfriends, and they go off into their own world, fending for themselves in the society at large, just 
trying to seek whatever goal it is that anyone seeks in life. 

Want to experience the “end of the world”? Whenever I ask people that silly question, a few al-ways 
enthusiastically say Yes. Then, I suggest they move to Syria, or some other country where the sense of 
a stable economy, infrastructure, and political system are non-existent, where you can expect someone 
to try to rob or kill you every day. Slowly, they start to realize that they re-ally have it good in the U.S. 

The constant challenges that everyone faces in life requires a never-ending series of choices and changes. 
Our lives never remain static, and the things that happen in society can always leave us guessing. 
The idea that we should spend a major, or a large, portion of our time and resources on how we’re 
going to “start over” in the event of a world-changing cataclysm is something that should be put into 
perspective. 

HERE ARE A FEW WAYS TO PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES: 

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH 
Neighborhood Watch is a nationwide program, one of the oldest and best-known crime preven-tion 
concepts in North America. In the late 1960s, an increase in crime heightened the need for a crime 
prevention initiative focused on residential areas and involving local citizens. The National Sheriffs’ 
As-sociation (NSA) responded, creating the National Neighborhood Watch Program in 1972 to assist 
citizens and law enforcement. 
If you want more information, and to register (not required), you can go to www.nnw.org. 

CERT 
We have a local Sierra Madre CERT branch. Go to www.sierramadreemergency.org. CERT volunteers 
are trained to respond safely, responsibly, and effectively to emergency situa-tions, but they can 
also support their communities during non-emergency events as well. Contact your local emergency 
manager or FEMA at FEMA-Prepare@fema.dhs.gov 

BECOME A HAM RADIO OPERATOR This may be the most viable way to communicate after an 
emergency. Check out local clubs. 

NEIGHBORHOOD GARDENS 
Most urban neighborhoods have gardens. Get to know the growers, and consider being a grower 
yourself. 

LOCAL FARMS Get to know and support your local farms. They grow your food, after all! 

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