10

OPINIONOPINION

 Mountain Views NewsSaturday, January 11. 2025

RICH JOHNSON 

NOW THAT’S RICH

STUART TOLCHIN

MOUNTAIN 
VIEWS

NEWS

PUBLISHER/ EDITOR

Susan Henderson

PASADENA CITY 
EDITOR

Dean Lee 

SALES

Patricia Colonello

626-355-2737 

626-818-2698

WEBMASTER

John Aveny 

DISTRIBUTION

Peter Lamendola

CONTRIBUTORS

Michele Kidd

Stuart Tolchin 

Harvey Hyde

Audrey Swanson

Meghan Malooley

Mary Lou Caldwell

Kevin McGuire

Chris Leclerc

Dinah Chong Watkins

Howard Hays

Paul Carpenter

Kim Clymer-Kelley

Christopher Nyerges

Peter Dills 

Rich Johnson

Lori Ann Harris

Rev. James Snyder

Katie Hopkins

Deanne Davis

Despina Arouzman

Jeff Brown

Marc Garlett

Keely Toten

Dan Golden

Rebecca Wright

Hail Hamilton

Joan Schmidt

LaQuetta Shamblee

PUT THE LIGHTS ON


WILD SOCIAL FIRES, 

ASHES TO ASHES

My friends, I hope if you’ve been virtually affected by the recent 
fires and winds, that you are now experiencing a loving community 
reaching out to you!

There are so many facts and bits of information in our life. We really 
need to know. We need to remember. We shouldn’t forget. Our 
brains are like a hard drive. They have a capacity. My brain is more like a mush 
drive. Squishy full of useless information. Information is bound to spill out. I don’t 
know the answer to that question. Maybe I did, but it was part of the squishy stuff 
spilling out.

If I ever felt a noble calling, that calling would be to help replenish your brain with 
relatively useless information and content. When was the last time we sat down and 
really worked on upping our useless information quotient (UIQ)? Let’s see if my 
theory can help you retain important information.

Let’s see, oh yes, did you know Pope John Paul II, was an honorary Harlem 
globetrotter?

Frank Sinatra turned down the starring role in the movie “Die Hard”. The role went 
to Bruce Willis.

If your car broke down on the highway in England and Queen Elizabeth happened 
to drive by, she could fix your car. She was trained as a mechanic.

Al Capone‘s business card said he was a used furniture dealer.

If you don’t know if it’s a crocodile or an alligator approaching you, ask it to stick 
out its tongue. Alligators can and crocodiles cannot stick out their tongue there you 
go. Who says this stuff isn’t important?

A giraffe can clean its own ears with its tongue. Can you?

Animals are legs do not have belly buttons. Live with it.

Here’s one you might not know: junk food can actually be addictive. (No kidding).

If you ever meet him, Cap’n Crunch’s full name is Captain Horatio Magellan crunch.

If you ever check, you’ll discover Venus is the only planet in our solar system that 
rotates clockwise.

Men hiccup more than women.

Have a fear of beards? You suffer from pogonophobia. I’d have it checked out

The super soaker was invented by a NASA nuclear scientist named Lonnie Johnson 
(no relation)

If Alexander Graham Bell had had his way, we would all answer the phone with 
“ahoy“ and not “hello“.

Know what the little dot on top of the letter “i” is called? A tittle.

Technically, a “jiffy“ is about one trillionth of a second.

Finally, and this is really important, what pet is more inclined to watch television 
with you? Your cat or your dog? Tell us the cat will enjoy the show more than the 
dog. Cats rely more on their vision than dogs who rely more on their smell.

Finally, please capitalize on these recent tragedies by reaching out to friends and 
neighbors. A loving community is the most powerful antidote to all of this pain, 
suffering and loss

And thank you profusely for permitting my version of insanity to come into your 
life on a regular basis.

 Don’t get mad, I’m doing my best to be positive and 
stay accurate. Last night, Tuesday, at about 10 pm my 
wife and I left Sierra Madre pursuant to an evacuation 
order related to what is called The Eaton Canyon Fire.
As we drove west to my son’s home we saw the fires 
burning in the hills almost directly above us. 

 

 After a mainly sleepless night with our dog in my son’s small apartment 
we pried our eyes open and drove south to find a breakfast place. 
Now, in the morning light, despite the smoke, we could observe the 
huge trees that the wind had caused to fall into the street or into a house. 

We arrived before the restaurant opened for business but we were given 
free coffee as we waited. 

 

 Eventually we were all allowed into the restaurant and saw on the 
huge TV screen the message that I thought read: WILD SOCIAL FIRES. 
How nice I thought. I knew from previous natural disasters such as 
earthquakes and fires - they do in fact bring people together. As a 

matter of fact today we heard from many similarly evacuated neighbors 
and distant friends and former neighbors. 

 

 Is this why the wild fire was called social? of course not! As I commented 
to my wife about what I thought I had read she looked at me 
strangely. I failed to bring my glasses and what I thought had read SOCIAL 
WILD FIRES had read SOCAL FIRES. It is a tragedy- thousands 
of people have been evacuated and hundreds of homes have been lost 
and sadly lives. 

 

 Right now I do not know if my home in Sierra Madre and my daughter’s 
home in Altadena will still be standing when we finally are allowed 
to return home. Related to the other factors such as the recent Presidential 
election and waiting for medical test results I determined that I 

would stay as positive as possible. 

 

 After breakfast, after digesting about 5 cups of coffee as we drove 
south along Atlantic Boulevard just trying to get away from the smoke, 
we ended up near East Los Angeles College next to which is the Vincent 
Price Museum. My son and I waited for the museum while my wife 

went shopping to buy some necessary items that would make the stay 
with my son more livable. 

 

 Now here is my point, when my son and I were finally allowed to enter 
the museum we viewed several galleries displaying artifacts related 
to indigenous peoples. The displays are intended to remind people how 
ancient peoples attempted to preserve their environment and live in 

accordance with their god. Huge monuments intended as tributes to 
the gods were displayed but also there were displays of contemporary 
claims that have totally destroyed the natural environment. It is intended 
as a reminder that our present society will be made to pay a price for 

our indifference and our ignorance. 

 

 Today I wish to be reminded that the social responsibility all of us 
have is to live in harmony with one another and do what we can to 
resolve conflicts and live socially and harmoniously with one another 
within the cosmic mystery that is and always has been the truth of life. 
No matter what, we should do the best we can and even try to do better. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND LET US TREASURE WHAT WE HAVE. 

We have lost electrical power today but we are not powerless. Let us feel 
good, keep moving, and appreciate what is around us.

Mountain Views News 
has been adjudicated as 
a newspaper of General 
Circulation for the County 
of Los Angeles in Court 
Case number GS004724: 
for the City of Sierra 
Madre; in Court Case 
GS005940 and for the 
City of Monrovia in Court 
Case No. GS006989 and 
is published every Saturday 
at 80 W. Sierra Madre 
Blvd., No. 327, Sierra 
Madre, California, 91024. 
All contents are copyrighted 
and may not be 
reproduced without the 
express written consent of 
the publisher. All rights 
reserved. All submissions 
to this newspaper become 
the property of the Mountain 
Views News and may 
be published in part or 
whole. 

Opinions and views expressed 
by the writers 
printed in this paper do 
not necessarily express 
the views and opinions 
of the publisher or staff 
of the Mountain Views 
News. 

Mountain Views News is 
wholly owned by Grace 
Lorraine Publications, 
and reserves the right to 
refuse publication of advertisements 
and other 
materials submitted for 
publication. 

Letters to the editor and 
correspondence should 
be sent to: 

Mountain Views News

80 W. Sierra Madre Bl. 
#327

Sierra Madre, Ca. 
91024

Phone: 626-355-2737

Fax: 626-609-3285

email: 

mtnviewsnews@aol.com

A member of 
the

California Newspaper 
Publishers 
Association


Mountain Views News

Mission Statement

The traditions of 
community news-
papers and the 
concerns of our readers 
are this newspaper’s 
top priorities. We 
support a prosperous 
community of well-
informed citizens. We 
hold in high regard the 
values of the exceptional 
quality of life in our 
community, including 
the magnificence of 
our natural resources. 
Integrity will be our guide. 


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