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Saturday, January 20, 2024 

SENIOR COMMUNITY COMMISSION ARE 
SEEKING YOUR COLLABORATION TO 
FIND THE 2024 OLDER 'SIERRA MADRE' 
AMERICAN OF THE YEAR. 

Nominations are now being accepted for this renowned honor. Note 
that although worthy, Senior Community Commissioners are not 
eligible. Additionally, nominations will only be accepted for new 
candidates who have not been honored in years prior. 

The nomination form is available on the city's website at: https://www.cityofsierramadre.com/cms/one.
aspx?portalId=212393&pageId=241945 and return it to the Hart Park House Senior Center, or mail/
walk in to City Hall, Community Services Department, 232 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 
91024 prior to. or no later than. Wednesday. March 13th• 2024. 

The Commission will review nominations and select an honoree at their regularly scheduled meeting 
on Thursday, April 4th, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers. 

The individual selected by you or your organization must live in Sierra Madre, while demonstrating 
outstanding community service and be at least the age of, or older than 60. The honoree will be 
recognized at a reception held in their honor on Wednesday., May 8th., 2024. 

Previous Honorees: Dick Johnson, Joan Crow, Jerry & Nan Carlton, Pat Alcorn, Fran Garbaccio, Ken 
Anhalt, Eph Konigsberg, Russ Anderson, George Throop, Loyal Camacho, John Grijalva, Joylouise 
Harte-Smith, James Heasley, Midge Morash, James Tyler, Isabella Paegal, Bonnie Garner, Rose Fafach, 
Ed Wellman, Celeste McCleary, Dorothy Tillquist, Doris Webster, Elsie Dammeyer, George Mauer, 
Karl Teigler, Laurie Cooper, Lucille Flanders, Ann Tyler, Jay Whitcraft, Darlene Crook, Paul Hagen and 
Clem and Nina Bartolai. 

Thank You in advance for your support and assistance with this spirited community event. Should you 
have any additional questions, feel free to contact Lawren Heinz, Administrative Analyst at (626) 355-
5278 x704. 

WALKING SIERRA MADRE - The Social Side

by Deanne Davis


“January…month of empty pockets.” 
Sidonie Colette

“January is the Monday of months – 
everyone hates it and it comes too soon 
after the party.”

January is the alarm clock you can’t throw 
at the wall, the gym membership you 
already regret buying, the Monday that 
stretches on for an eternity…because (and 
let’s be honest, most Januarys feel like they 
have 57 Tuesdays!)

It’s possible January is just misunderstood. 
You could throw HOPE into your January 
and think of it as a fresh start. With 
HOPE, we can raise our cup of hot coffee 
and toast January; because, after all, there 
is a whole year of adventures before us 
waiting to be had! I realize we’re more 
than halfway through January but in 
case you didn’t know these amazing facts 
and opportunities, here’s what you can 
celebrate in January:

We’ve already missed some of these, but you can mark your calendar for next year:

 January 3 – National Chocolate-Covered Cherry Day 

 January 6 – National Bean Day

 January 8 – Elvis Presley’s Birthday

 January 10 – National houseplant Appreciation Day

 January 14 – National Dress Up Your Pet Day

 January 20 – National Penguin Day

 January 22 – National Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day

 January 29 – National Puzzle Day – Hence, the picture this week is of 
granddaughter, Jessie, and our latest completed puzzle 
which features cakes, cupcakes, spilled tea, chaos and cats.

Remember my mentioning the best spinach quiche ever, passed along to me by 
one of the nurses at the Red Cross Blood Collection center? I’m about to make this 
myself, friends and neighbors, as I want something to eat that has not been any part 
of a holiday dinner and you probably do, too. 

One Pillsbury unbaked pie crust (you know these goodies are there in the 
refrigerator case where cookie dough and unbaked croissants are located.) Place 
the pie crust in a 10” pie pan and prick it with a fork all over so it doesn’t develop 
bubbles which ruin your pie crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Set aside 
while you make the filling:

1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained. Also set aside.

3 eggs

2 cups low fat cottage cheese

4 TB milk

½ tsp. nutmeg

5 TB. grated Parmesan cheese (fresh is really good but that old green container 
of Kraft works just fine)

2 TB or so of diced onion sauteed in butter or olive oil till tender but not browned.

Salt and pepper

Process ingredients 1-6 in your blender but don’t put the spinach in there.

Mix the blended ingredients with the spinach (I just stick it all back in the pan I 
cooked the spinach in so there’s only one pan to wash.) Pour into the baked pie 
shell.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly so it doesn’t burn your 
tongue and enjoy with a salad, fruit or just a huge chunk on a plate for yourself. 
Men will eat this, and the occasional extremely precocious child.

As Julia Child would say, “Bon Appetit!”

And just to wind up the week, a few positive thoughts filled with HOPE:

• Today I begin a new life. I will fill my mind with happy, HOPEful thoughts.

• Today I will laugh at the world. I will stop taking others and myself too

 seriously.

• I am God’s greatest miracle. I will believe in myself.

• I will act now. I will not practice procrastination. (That means if you 

 haven’t put away your Christmas decorations, you really need to do

 it ASAP)

• Today I will savor pleasure (like this spinach quiche I could make)

• Today I will practice gratitude. God has blessed us beyond our wildest

 dreams. We need to thank Him.

Our minds are like a garden; each day we need to weed out any negativity and feed 
it with positivity. We spend the first few days of January walking through our lives, 
room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched, closets 
to be cleaned, boxes packed to go to Good Will or Salvation Army. Maybe this 
January we could walk through the rooms of our hearts…not looking for flaws, but 
for potential. And carry HOPE with us wherever we go.

My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis

Take a look! There are interesting goodies galore for

You Kindle readers and even an actual book or two for you

“I need to hold it in my hands” readers.


LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I was saddened, dismayed and alarmed reading the comments of our village leaders in last week's 
front page article about the special election.

To be able to hold a special election is a privilege and right of a democratic socie-ty. The one lone 
signature of the steering committee member wasn't enough. The 45.98% of the voters who were 
opposed to the project were able to be counted also.

Democracy costs. Ask our veterans, soldiers and their families.Having the special elec-tion being 
"prevented" is sounds dangerous and scary to me.

I, willingly, would pay extra taxes and forego having new police cars in order to have a special election 
that nearly 50 % of the voters were able to have a dissenting voice. In my opinion, there was no better 
"use of our resources" than to have an election that 45.98% of the voters felt necessary.

Thank you to those who took their time to gather signatures, and those who took their time to tally 
votes. I applaud those who had the foresight to maintain a budg-et reserves so we can have special 
elections.

I am grateful and pleased we have a democratic process in place to allow all votes to be heard.

Barbara Skousen, Sierra Madre


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