Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, October 7, 2023

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Mountain View News Saturday, October 7, 2023 

SIERRA MADRE FIRE DEPARTMENT FIRE PREVENTION FESTIVAL 
OCTOBER 14, 2023 

Sierra Madre Fire Department is excited to extend an invitation to our 36th Annual Fire Prevention 
Festival. This fun and educational event will take place on October 14, 2023, from 9:00 AM 
to 12:00 PM at Sierra Madre Fire Station, 242 West Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024, 
and promises to be an engaging experience for the whole community.

The Fire Prevention Festival is a family-friendly event aimed at raising awareness about fire 
safety and prevention. This year's festival will feature an array of exciting activities and informative 
demonstrations, including:

1. Live Fire Safety Demonstrations: Firefighters and Faith Fire Protection Services will provide 
demonstrations for using a fire blanket and fire extinguisher to put out stove fires.

2. Meeting the Goats: This year, we invited goats from Ventura Brush Goats Home and Range 
to the festival. Visitors can learn more about how goats are being used as a sustainable and economical 
alternative for removing fuel for wildfires.

3. Meet Smokey Bear: Angeles National Forest and Smokey Bear will educate visitors on the 
importance of safe camp cooking.

4. Fire Truck Tours: Explore SMFD’s state-of-the-art fire engines, water tender, and equipment 
up close.

We thank our community partners for their support: Athen’s Services, Code 3, San Gabriel 
Valley Council of Governments, Sierra Madre C.E.R.T., Sierra Madre Search and Rescue, Sierra 
Madre Police Department, Sierra Madre Public Library.

WALKING SIERRA MADRE - The Social Side

by Deanne Davis


“The Autumn wind is rising, and the air is 
wild with leaves. We’ve had our summer 
evenings. 

Now for October eves!” Humbert Wolfe

“I am so glad I live in a world where there 
are Octobers.” Anne of Green Gables

“October: When the earth repays with 
golden sheaves, the labors of the plough, 
and ripening fruits and forest leaves all 
brighten on the bough. What pensive 
beauty Autumn shows, before she hears the 
sound, of winter rushing in to close the emblematic 
round.” Wordsworth

OCTOBER

O…Oh please, oh please, let it cool off. Let 
us feel chilled, shiver, reach for a sweater.

C…Cider. Hot apple cider, with a cinnamon 
stick in it. In a hot steamy mug. Fragrant, 
delicious.

T…Time to watch for scarecrows, think of 
goblins, imagine witches flying across the 
moon.

O…Out! Go out and find pumpkins to carve 
and create awesomely awful faces.

B…Be outrageous and try Pumpkin Wine or 
Pumpkin ale with a cinnamon sugar rim. 

E…Explore all over town and see how many 
scarecrows you can find. Even better, stuff 
your own and make it scary or cute or an 
alien being.

R…Read a scary story: “Something Wicked 
This Way Comes,” by Ray Bradbury or take 
your pick from the thousands available on 
Amazon. 

The scarecrow competition is heating up all 
over town. And this guy tromping through 
the roses

certainly fits the description of a scarecrow: 
“a scarecrow is an object made to resemble 
a human

figure, set up to scare birds away from a field 
where crops are growing.” Also, “an object of

baseless fear.” We could certainly apply the 
term “scarecrow” meaning ‘an object of 
baseless fear’ to an awful lot of what is going 
on in our world currently, but I digress!

A scarecrow’s meant to scare you, to make 
you go away,

If you’re a crow and think you’ll steal the 
seeds that we just planted.

This scarecrow standing in the roses, would 
make anybody fly away.

His clothes are a fashion nightmare, the colors 
just plain scary.

His face a bony skeleton mask with a creepy 
toothy smile.

The hat he wears does match his coat, but 
neighbors have a care!

For when the moon is full and bright, like it 
just might be tonight,

This scarecrow standing in the roses, can 
cause an awful fright!

For maybe when it’s midnight, he can move 
and dance and sing,

He might be more than a chubby guy, walking 
on the roses,

He might just be a living, breathing, terrifying 
thing!

“I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have 
it all to myself, 

than be crowded on a velvet cushion.” Henry 
David Thoreau

More and more pumpkins are appearing 
just about everywhere you look and there’s 
something

about them that makes you smile. Yes, it’s 
definitely Fall.

October always makes me think of Charles 
Schulz and his immortal comic strip, “Peanuts.” 
Linus is probably already out there in 
his pumpkin patch, hoping that this year the 
Great Pumpkin will decide that Linus has, 
indeed, created the most sincere pumpkin 
patch, and will rise up and scatter presents 
all over the place. Charlie Brown will be kind 
but disbelieving, Lucy will be scornful, but 
Linus will always believe.

“Always remember you are braver than you 
believe, stronger than you seem, smarter 
than you think, and loved more than you 
know.” Winnie the Pooh

October is here, it’s officially Fall and you 
might find a scarecrow around town that 
sends your imagination flying!

Just for fun, here’s a scary excerpt from one 
of the Emma Gainsworth Adventures:

“Emma Gainsworth walked into a cobweb 
one cool October day on her way to the 
pumpkin patch. Actually, she didn’t just 
walk into a cobweb, the cobweb reached out 
and embraced Emma, cocooned Emma, captured 
Emma and something spidery began 
slowly climbing

down the silken strand that led to Emma’s 
struggling self. All eight of its eyes zeroed in 
on

her struggling form. Eight hairy legs slowly 
slid toward her, trembling in anticipation of 
the tasty

morsel just inches away. If it had lips, the 
spider would have licked them. “Drat!” She 
whispered, trying to move her head enough 
to see just exactly who...or what, had captured 
her.”

Proving, friends and neighbors, that you 
never know what exactly you’ll find in a 
pumpkin patch!

My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis

There are treasures there! Trust me! 

Including;

“Just Desserts” A Fall Fantasy of Pumpkins 
Gone Wrong! Featuring the amazing Emma 
Gainsworth! 


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