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Mountain View News Saturday, January 11. 2025


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SENIOR HAPPENINGS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …JANUARY BIRTHDAYS*

Gerald Day, Mary Tassop, Judy Webb-Martin, John Johnson, Mary 
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Elderly individuals often face significant challenges during wildfires, primarily due to physical, emotional, 
and environmental factors. They may have underlying health conditions, limited mobility, or lack 
access to resources, making them more vulnerable in times of crisis. Here are some specific issues and 
strategies for supporting elderly individuals during wildfires:

CHALLENGES FOR THE ELDERLY DURING WILDFIRES:

Health Concerns:

Respiratory Issues: Older adults may have respiratory conditions (e.g., COPD, asthma), which can be 
exacerbated by smoke and poor air quality during wildfires.

Chronic Conditions: Those with heart disease, diabetes, or mobility issues may struggle to evacuate 
or get medical care during an emergency.

Mobility & Independence:

Many elderly individuals have difficulty evacuating quickly, especially those who are wheelchair-
bound or frail. Limited mobility can prevent them from seeking shelter in time.

People living alone might have no one to help them evacuate or manage tasks.

Isolation:

Older adults are often more isolated, whether through living in remote areas or having limited social 
support. This isolation can delay emergency responses and make it difficult for them to get help.

Cognitive Impairment:

Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease can lead to confusion, making it harder for elderly people to follow 
evacuation plans or understand emergency instructions.

Emotional Strain:

The elderly may feel more fear, anxiety, and stress during wildfires, especially if they've experienced 
previous evacuations or disasters. This emotional strain can worsen health conditions.

Strategies to Support the Elderly during Wildfires:

Pre-Emergency Planning:

Evacuation Plans: Seniors should have a personalized evacuation plan in place, including transportation 
and medical assistance if needed. Caregivers or family members can ensure that these plans are 
updated regularly.

Emergency Kit: A kit with medications, important documents, food, water, and other essentials can 
be prepared in advance.

Assistance with Evacuation:

If they live alone, elderly individuals should have a designated person (family, friends, or caregivers) 
to help with evacuation in case of a fire. Community resources, like local senior centers or non-
profits, can also provide evacuation assistance and shelter options.

Staying Informed:

Ensure elderly individuals have access to information about the wildfire's status. Radios, mobile 
phones, or communication devices with emergency alerts can keep them informed.

Family members or caregivers should stay in regular contact to ensure the elderly person is safe.

Shelter and Air Quality:

Safe Shelters: Emergency shelters should be equipped to meet the needs of seniors, such as accessible 
facilities, medical assistance, and air filtration systems to reduce smoke exposure.

Air Quality Measures: If evacuation isn't possible, helping seniors stay indoors with air purifiers, or 
using N95 masks can help protect them from harmful smoke.

Mental Health Support:

Ensure there are systems in place to provide emotional support, including check-ins by phone or 
visits from loved ones.

Local mental health professionals or crisis intervention services can help address trauma or anxiety.

Community Engagement:

Neighborhoods with a high senior population can organize fire preparedness workshops and buddy 
systems, where neighbors check on each other in emergencies.

By addressing these challenges with proactive planning and community support, the elderly can have 
a better chance of staying safe during wildfires.


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

UGLY IS AS UGLY SEES

I was drinking a cup of coffee in the middle of the shopping mall. I don’t 
like going to shopping malls, but The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage 
sent me to get a new dress shirt for Sundays. I told her I could wear the 
same one I wore last year, but she has different ideas about the dress code.

I was drinking coffee to settle my nerves and then pick up a dress shirt for the year. I don’t 
know why I need one every year because they all look the same to me, but The Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage supervises my dress code.

While enjoying my coffee for a moment, I watched people as they walked by. It took me 
a while, but I began noticing the people walking by me. One person was walking toward 
me, and I almost fainted. I have seen ugly people before, but this one baked the cake. 
Maybe it was my glasses, but I had never seen anybody as ugly as that before. Of course, I 
try not to look in my bathroom mirror.

Then, another person was coming my way who looked as ugly as the first person I saw. I 
begin to see ugly people all over the place. I didn’t know if I died and was transported to 
some planet or something but a lot of ugly people surrounded me.

I will admit that among these ugly people were some very nice-looking people, but there 
were not quite as many as I would have liked to see.

An older woman walked by very slowly, and I saw her face. From what I could tell, 50 
years ago she had a complete facelift. I’m sure it looked okay at the time, but over the 
years, that beautiful face developed into a very ugly, wrinkly one.

I will never know why people have facelifts, tummy tucks, and all that kind of plastic stuff. 
When somebody young gets a facelift, they don’t realize that if they live for the next 50 
years, they’re going to look very bad. A facelift is not forever.

I read about a woman going for a complete makeover. I don’t know what they call it, but 
it was going to cost her over $150,000. If I had $150,000, I would not put it on my face!

Why are people so obsessed with how they look? Why are looks so important to most 
people?

I thought about that as I sat there drinking my coffee, wondering how my life would 
change if I got a facelift, a tummy tuck, or whatever else they do.

The longer I sat there, the uglier people were as they walked by. But I got to thinking—
maybe they were looking at me and thinking I was the ugliest person they’d seen all day. 
At that moment, whenever anybody walked by and looked at me, I smiled—just in case.

When I got home that night, I hung up my new shirt and went into the living room, where 
The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage was setting.

“Did you get the dress shirt I sent you to get?” She said very sarcastically.

“I did,” I said with a smile.

Then I sat down, looked at her, and said, “Do you think I should go and get a facelift? And 
if so, where do you recommend I ought to go?”

As soon as she calmed down from laughing, she said, “The recommendation I would give 
you is that antique store just around the block.” Then she laughed some more.

I was quiet for a moment, and then heard her say, “Is anything wrong with the mirror in 
your bathroom? Maybe you need to get a new mirror.”

Around our living room are pictures of our children, grandchildren, and even great-
grandchildren. Looking at them, I responded, “Aren’t those children cute? They look so 
lovely, don’t they?”

Of course, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage was on my side with that and agreed 
that our grandkids were all very cute.

I then got serious and asked her, “What if some of them grow up to be as ugly as me?”

I heard a loud gasp from her side of the room, and when it quieted down, she said, “That’s 
not possible!”

I then went to my computer, where I had a bunch of photographs. I pulled up one and 
showed it to her. “What do you think of that picture?”

She looked at it and said, “That’s a very cute young boy.”

“That picture is of me when I was young. Now look at me.”

I brought up another cute picture and showed it to her. “Do you know who this is?”

She smiled and said, “That’s a picture of me when I was young.”

“I wonder,” I said sarcastically, “if ugly runs only in my family.”

All I heard from her side of the room was snickering, and I wasn’t going to ask any more 
questions.

“Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing 
of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which 
is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of 
God of great price” (1 Peter 3:3-4).

My heart is more important than my face.

Dr. James L. Snyder lives in Ocala, FL with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. Telephone 
1-352-216-3025, e-mail jamessnyder51@gmail.com, website www.jamessnyderministries.
com


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