Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, July 9, 2022

Mountain View News Saturday, July 9, 2022 8 Mountain View News Saturday, July 9, 2022 8 
THE MAD TOWN COUNCIL’S AWESOME 
“FIRST ANNUAL SUMMER COMMUNITY EVENT” 

By Joan Schmidt 


Two months ago, the Monrovia-Arcadia-Duarte Town Council met with Supervisor 
Kathryn Barger. Council Member Michelle Wright was angry. For many years, he 
had been trying to get Suicide Prevention info into the County Guide Book, but it never 
happened. He spoke with passion, about his “Choose 2 Live Project” and the devastating 
loss of his only son. The Supervisor listened; was appalled. It was agreed that we must 
get the word out. How could we do this?

 Contact Churches, (Michelle spoke at a Monrovia Ministerial Association Meeting); 
the Press, (“A Father’s Mission: Choose to Live”); and a Town Council Community 
event. The Supervisor encouraged us, sponsored our event and her Field Deputy Sandra 
Croxton helped us tremendously, contacting county agencies, and securing a venue. 
Temple Station Deputy April Nelson had ideas, contacted the County Mediation Team, 
she has worked with at Homeless Encampments. 

The Event surpassed all expectations. Supervisor Barger attended; was very impressed 
with so many vendors and shared information. She presented the Town Council 
with a beautiful Proclamation. 

 Guest Speaker Tracie Andrews, LA County Mental Health Dept. spoke passionately 
of suicide prevention, educating the public. Nellie Arias, Partners in Suicide Intervention 
and Roberta Holts, Liaison for Homeless and Veterans, Crisis Prevention & Peer 
Support echoed Andrew’s plea for help. 

Our neighbors, Monrovia City Council Member Larry Spicer and Mayor-Elect 
Becky Shevlin attended. Duarte Council Member Toney Lewis came with his son. Lewis 
shared he grew up here and spent much time at Pamela Park. 

The Town Council is very grateful for all the agencies that staffed tables, answering 
questions, sharing information and goodies for the kiddos: LASD Transit Service 
Bureau (Dep. Mora and Ryan) which has a Transit Mental Evaluation Team (A sworn-in 
deputy and mental health professional tasked to respond to people in mental health crisis 
and helping homeless receive services.) LASD Temple Station (Commander, Captain 
Reyes, Deputy Nelson, YAL Deputy Stilgenbauer); LA County Fire Dept. Station #169 
(Captain Arvizu, Engineer Covert, Firefighter Salazar), LA COUNTY MET TEAM 
Deputies Lopez and Hidalgo; LA COUNTY MENTAL EVALUATION TEAM ( Access 
24/7 Hotline 800-854-7771) California Highway Patrol (Officers Alexander and Hill,) 

L.A. County Public Works Graffiti Abatement and L.A. Found (Susan Contreras, Project 
Lifesaver), African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (Sheree Johnson) 
and Foothill Unity Center (Tashera Taylor, assistance with flyers.) 
Many didn’t realize that LA Found provides tracking devices for at-risk individuals. 
(60% of adults with Alzheimer’s and 49% of children with autism go missing at 
least once during their lives. There also was info on Senior housing, and more. Transit 
services had TAP CARD info. Of course all had fun things for kids! 

There were burgers/ hot dogs/chips/granola bars/water. (Thanks to the Sells 
family( Jarrod, Lisa, Jazzmyn, Dion, Simon and Linda) for cooking and serving! 

Many volunteers helped in picking up the food, water, setting up tables, chairs. 
and canopies.(Ernest Torres, Pastor Kenneth Germany, and Volunteer Center of the 
San Gabriel Valley’s Rebecca Zazueta, Melissa Rodriguez, Kenneth Krezel, Joshua Holli-
man, Manuel Gonzalez, and Jorge Reyes; Esmeralda Fuentes and Pamela Park staff, Dep. 
of Parks and Rec. Supervisor Albert Gomez for event venue booking, and inclusion in 
“Parks After Dark”. 

Thanks to all for a spectacular event! 

CALTRANS ANNOUNCES FIVE-DAY CLOSURE OF 
WESTBOUND I-210 AT SAN GABRIEL 
RIVER BRIDGE - WEDNESDAY, JULY 20 
THROUGH TUESDAY, JULY 26 

IRWINDALE - The California Department of Transportation 
(Caltrans) has rescheduled a five-day closure of westbound 
interstate 210 (I-210) at the San Gabriel in Irwindale for a 
bridge upgrade project partially funded by Senate Bill (SB 1). 
Crews will divert traffic from westbound I-210 to eastbound 
I-210, which will be converted to three-lanes in both directions 
between Interstate 605 (I-605) and Irwindale Avenue 
during the closure.


The following closures will be taking place Wednesday, July 20, at 10 PM through 
Tuesday, July 26 at 4 PM: 

Westbound I-210 from Irwindale Ave to I-605 
Westbound 1-210 Irwindale Avenue rampsWestbound I-210 to southbound I-605 connector 
I-605 to eastbound I-210 connector 
Eastbound I-210 Mt. Olive on-ramps

 A second five-day closure affecting eastbound I-210 will occur on Wednesday, August 
10 at 10 PM through Tuesday, August 16 at 4 AM.

 Caltrans advises motorists to expect major delays, use I-10 or SR-60 as alternate routes, 
use public transportation on Metro L Line (Gold) or Metrolink during the closures and 
if possible, work from home.

 The closure schedule is subject to change due to weather, availability of equipment and 
materials, and construction-related issues. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and 
check the Caltrans QuickMap for up-to-the-minute traffic conditions. More information 
and updates on this project can be found on the District 7 website or on Twitter. 

The work is part of a project to upgrade the San Gabriel River Bridge on I-210 in Irwin-
dale. The $30 million project - which includes $1.7 million from SB 1, the Road Repair 
and Accountability Act of 2017 - will upgrade existing bridge hinges and railings and 
strengthen bridge decks to improve safety. 

SB 1 provides $5 billion in transportation funding annually split between the state and 
local agencies. Road projects progress through construction phases more quickly based 
on the availability of SB 1 funds, including projects that are partially funded by SB 1. 

For more information about other transportation projects funded by SB 1, visit rebuildingca.
ca.gov. 

The Chef Knows By Peter Dills 
DILLS’ GREEK VACATION PART 2 

My Buddy and the pride of Eaton Canyon Sean Lorenzini is off to visit 
Greece this week and I promised a run-down of my last trip through the 
Mediterranean. It has been some 50 years that I departed Greek Soil. I recently 
returned to Greece and am excited to share my experience with you. 
If it is history that you seek, there is plenty of that to enjoy, if you are looking 
for relaxation then this is your spot, how about superior cuisine? I will 
attest that the worst meal of the trip wasn’t really all that bad. Yes, Greece 
has something for everyone.
Getting There: It’s a long flight, with choices of airlines and layovers in 
Toronto, Washington and New York. We traveled on Air Canada and had a 
layover in Toronto. As a beer drinker, a few Molson’s at the airport restaurant 
helped make the time go by fast. One warning though, if you are using 
dollars they will give you back Canadian currency, so my suggestion is to 
use your credit card. Unless you want to have a couple of dollars as a keepsake. 
Once you make it to Athens, you’ll have the choice of a taxi, renting a 
car, or if you are on a tour like we were then someone will greet you at the 
terminal. My suggestion is that if this is your first trip a taxi or hotel shuttle 
would be prudent. However, if you are on the islands, renting a car is safe and easy. 


Where to stay: In Athens there is a list of five star, four star and three star hotels. We stayed at the Metropolitan 
just outside of Athens, and while the hotel was clean and a great view of the port, I wouldn’t say it 
was five star. But I liked that it had a view and was away from downtown Athens that is congested and a 
bit dirty with graffiti and scooters everywhere. Once in Santorini and Mykonos, the accommodations are 
very nice, in fact while our hotel in Santorini El Greco, wasn’t on the beach it reminded me of staying in a 
storybook village: very upscale and with four different pools. In Mykonos there are many small/boutique 
hotels very close to the beach, while our accommodations were close to being cramped, I will call it cozy. 

To tour or not: If you have traveled to Athens or any other surrounding Islands before, I don’t see any need 
to sign up for a tour. We did and I am glad we did, but it was the consensus of our group that if any of us 
were to return, that you could easily do it on your own. We agreed that once if you have seen the ruins and 
the stadium, that none of us would spend much time in Athens. 

Getting Around: Big difference in getting around in Athens and getting around in Greece. First of all it’s 
much hotter in Athens then it is in the islands, and as I mention in when to go July and August have is 
severe heat. My mother to this day reminds me of the 100+ day in July when I was born on a US Army 
base. The buses in Athens are usually filled with locals and would opt for taking a taxi or even the tram. 
On the Islands I do recommend the buses, many of them are new, air-conditioned and dependable, a bus 
ride is about $1.40 euro. On the islands you can rent a scooter by the day, it looks fun, but I was warned 
that many a kid has seen the hospital by crashing into the wall on a narrow road. Getting from island to 
island is done by Ferry, a boat that costs about $55 euro. There are airplanes that do fly from the Athens 
Airport to Santorini/Mykonos, and when I return I will take advantage of them, but for your first visit it 
adds to the fun of the trip. Bring a book or a crossword puzzle. If you aren’t on a guided tour tickets can 
easily be purchased at the port. 

When to go: Athens is hot, I mean temperature hot, in fact many workers and vendors take off August to 
visit friends and families elsewhere. If you are there to relax and get a tan, then by all means July would 
be OK, however just visiting the Acropolis in June we were overheated and water was our best friend, I 
couldn’t imagine a July tour of Athens. My suggestion is early June or late September. 

Dollar v. Euro: Those looking for bargains, we found that even though Greece is in a financial crisis, they 
haven’t put out the distress flag yet, when shopping you can always ask for the best price. I was warned 
that dinners can easily run $70 euro, while I did see that price tag, it was very few and in between. I did 
notice that the restaurants closest to the water were pricier. A tip is to go to supermarkets, not the markets 
and buy beer, water and fruit and have it in your hotel refrigerator. The fruit there is some of the best I’ve 
had. The beer and sodas at the hotel can be twice or three times as much as getting them at the market or 
a Kiosk. 

Dining in Greece: Originally I was going to give a few reviews of the restaurants that I visited, and after 
collecting business cards of places that I dined, I came up with this conclusion, where ever you go, you really 
can’t go wrong. You want affordable dining? They have it. Want to dine on or near the beach? Yes, fish 
and chicken are the most popular items that we came across both in Athens and in Santorini and Mykonos. 
The items on the menus at each restaurant are very similar. You won’t find too many steaks or burgers, yes, 
they are available but there are no beef cattle being raised in Greece. We enjoyed the Greek Salad and the 
Rocket Salad pretty much with every meal. You’ll find that the Greek Salad has no lettuce, and is made up 
of cucumbers, olives, tomatoes and Feta Cheese. Something I found odd, the extra charges on the bill, first 
when they ask if you want bread, we always say yes, there is an additional charge of 2 to 3 euro. Plus sit 
down restaurants have a cover charge, no not the night club admission, this is a sitting charge, this charge 
gives you the privilege of sitting at your table for as long as you want, I think this was initiated more for the 
locals that like to sit for hours and conversing over cigarettes and espresso. Note.. everyone smokes, even 
while they are working. One spot that did stand out in Athens, near our hotel was Restaurant Kalypso. The 
food was above average and the waiter even assisted us with our Greek language lessons. We returned there 
while waiting for our flight home. 

Tipping: This isn’t as big of a deal that it is in the states. Workers are working for what is called a “living 
wage”, don’t ask me to explain a living wage, I am restaurant reviewer not workers rights lawyer, however 
you won’t get the typical service that you’d expect from the waiters, it’s not bad, it’s “are you ready to order” 
your food is brought and you might not see your server again, at least until you flag them down/ and I did 
a lot of flagging down. My suggestion is 10 to 12 % tip. Taxi Cab drivers same thing, a couple of euro are 
sufficient. As with any trip leaving the chambermaid and if you are on a tour, a tip is suggested. 

Sightseeing: The first day is full of sight seeing, visit the Acropolis, Zeus Statue, Temple of Poseidon, and 
the Stadium, an afternoon at the beach in Athens is also a pleasant way to end your day in Athens, a day 
in Athens? Yes, ! I found Athens to be hot, congested and plain dirty. If you want to see the ruins, I took 
a boat trip to the Island of Delos. There is a small admission charge once you get there, but you will get a 
sense of the history of Greece. One of the highlights of the trip was our seven-mile hike on The Santorini; 
we started at Fira and ended our walk in OIA, beautiful walk looking the cliffs and sights of the Volcano’s 
and the Aegean Sea. Two other musts while we are on Mykonos we took a small boat along the shore and 
you have your choice of five beaches, a beach for everyone, a party beach, a topless beach, we opted for Elia, 
plenty of sand and chairs to enjoy a relaxing day sun bathing. Santoroni has been voted top ten sunsets in 
the entire world. We took the Sunset Cruise that was quite relaxing and is a must; another bonus is the boat 
stop briefly at one of the volcanic hot springs, hot? No, but quite warm. 

Is Greece Safe? : Yes!! On our first day on our vacation we stayed just a few miles from downtown, it wasn’t 
till we went to downtown did we see any police presence, 
you are more likely to be hit by a scooter then witness any crime that goes for the Islands of Santorini and 
Mykonos as well.. In fact on the Islands we noticed no police at all, I mean none. I was surprised by the text 
messages and facebook postings asking me if I was OK? Just like Los Angeles, some areas are better then 
others, if you are looking for a demonstration I am sure if you wait long enough you can find one. 

Opal!!! Pack your bags save your money and head to the Islands of Greece. The locals are waiting for you 
with open arms and a glass of Ouzo. 

Listen every Sunday afternoon at 5 PM on AM 830 

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