10

Mountain View News Saturday, March 15, 2025

Meet Debbie – Your 
Purr-fect Little Shadow! 

Debbie is a gorgeous young 
black cat with a heart as 
warm as her sleek, shiny 
coat (She looks like a sleek 
little panther!). She’s the 
perfect mix of playful and 
affectionate—whether she’s 
chasing after toys, wrestling 
with her feline friends, or 
curling up in your lap for 
snuggles, she’ll always 
keep you company.

Her journey hasn’t been easy—Debbie was found all alone in 
a high-kill shelter, just moments away from a terrible fate. But 
thanks to a kind-hearted rescuer, she got a second chance at life 
and is now ready to find a forever home where she can share her 
endless love.

She is healthy, spayed, vaccinated, and ready to find a family 
where she can grow up feeling safe and loved for the rest of her 
life--a family who will cherish her as much as she’ll cherish them. 
Could that be you?

Adopt Debbie and let her fill your life with love, purrs, and playful joy! 

Scan the QR code or go to https://www.lifelineforpets.org/debbie.html to apply to meet Debbie.


CHRISTOPHER Nyerges 

[Nyerges is the author of several books including “Self-Sufficient Home” 
and “How to Survive Anywhere.” He also leads wilderness classes every 
weekend. He can be reached at School of Self-Reliance, Box 41834, Eagle 
Rock, CA 90041, or www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com]


PROFILES FROM THE FIRE:

Tina Frausto

Tina Frausto is a lifelong 
resident of the Pasadena-
Altadena area, growing up 
and going to school in Pasadena. Starting 
in 1984, she worked at Altadena’s St. Elizabeth 
School as an after-school director, until 
1997. She then became a teacher for the 
Duarte Unified School District, teaching 3rd 
through 5th grade students. She retired in 
June of 2013. 

In 2001, she purchased her home on Loma 
Alta, at the base of the foothills. “I purchased 
the place because I loved that view so much,” 
said Frausto.

Her life was busy and fulfilling, and she enjoyed 
her life in her Altadena home.

Until January 7…

JANUARY 7

On January 7, Frausto had just had a new 
roof put on, which was finished and passed 
inspection that day, at a cost of $27,000.

“Then, I went out to lunch with a friend, and 
it started to get a little windy. We went to 
see the new Bob Dylan movie “A Complete 
Unknown,” and it was really good! The actor, 
Timothee Chalamet, really sounded like 
Dylan.”

Frausto explains that she went home after the 
movie, and when she got to Altadena Drive 
around 3 p.m.,”I could really feel the wind, 
but I didn’t think much of it. My house has 
double pane glass, so I didn’t feel the wind 
that much. Plus my house has a house on our 
east and west, so we’re a bit buffered from the 
wind.”

Frausto said that she never lost electricity, 
and she never got any sort of evacuation 
notice.

When it was getting dark, around 7 p.m., “My neighbors across street had no electricity, and they 
said that they were evacuating,” said Frausto.

Around 8 p.m, another neighbor was driving away with others, and they told Frausto that she 
needed to evacuate. “I walked outside to look where the fire. There was a glow to the east, but it 
seemed quite a distance away. I felt that I should worry about it, and so I just collected stuff,. My 
son came up about that time, and we packed up photos on the walls.”

“I didn’t really think that a fire would get to me, because we’ve been warned about fires many times 
before, but I packed clothes, though not enough, and certain important papers, some shoes, and I 
got in my car. I was probably driving away by 8:30 p.m.”

Frausto describes driving down Porter Avenue, to New York, and then east to Hill. As she drove 
down Hill Ave., she described everything as orderly, despite the dense traffic, high winds and darkness. 
“It took me about 30 minutes to get to the freeway because of all the traffic, and then I drove 
to my friend’s place, Julie, in Temple City, and spent the night there.”

They watched the news there and “I worried about the fire, and I knew it was bad, but never 
dreamed it would get to my house.” In the morning, Frausto looked at the recording from her 
home’s Ring system. “I never lost electricity. I noticed that a police car came by around 9 p.m. telling 
people to get out. Then I noted that there was a glow to the east around 9:30 p.m. that got bigger 
and bigger, and then Ring went out at 9:35, which is when I assume my house burned down.”

In the morning, a neighbor called Frausto and let her know that the whole neighborhood had 
burned down. “My son got in there, and he took photos and a movie of our whole neighborhood 
gone, with one house standing.”

“I loved my home,” explained Frausto. “It was like living in paradise. And I loved that view. It’s 
the reason why I bought the place when I moved there in 2001.” She goes on to explain how much 
she loved her paintings from friends, and the unique glasswork of local artist Paul Martinez, and 
some ceramic work. All gone now. Also lost in the fire were her passport, social security card, 
birth certificate and countless other artifacts from a life well lived.

In the morning, in a state of immense shock, Frausto went to Sam’s Club and purchased needed 
clothes.

She was able to get back to the burned wreckage of her home a week after the fire. “Eight of us 
went there and I was astounded that there was nothing left. We couldn’t find anything salvageable.” 
She did give away some burned-over wrought iron furniture, and concrete bird baths which she 
didn’t want to just get dumped into the EPA trash heap.

She stayed with her friend Julie for two weeks, and her daughter came from Oakland and stayed 
for two weeks to see what was going on and to assist her mother. “Then I went to Holiday Express 
for about a week, and my daughter-in-law found this Monrovia apartment and got good deal on 
it. That’s where I’ll be for over a year.”

Though Frausto experienced no serious health problems from the fire, she did note that she 
coughed a little. Compared to her Altadena home, she doesn’t particularly like her Monrovia 
apartment, but says that it is safe and close to shopping.

Frausto explains that she wants to rebuild, getting support from insurance, an SBA loan, and some 
grants. Her goal is to get back to her Altadena home, which was like paradise to her.

Another of Frausto’s observations was that in the aftermath of losing her home, she found that 
people were incredibly friendly and treated her exceptionally well, even to the point of wanting 
to give her a hug. On the flip side, she points out that when she came back to visit her destroyed 
home, a miniature library out front survived. That made her happy, but by her next visit, some 
looter had stolen it. It is said that disasters bring out the best and worst in people. In her case, she 
experienced both the best and the worst of human nature in the wake of the fire.


Pet of the Week

 Alma is a sweet and gentle 7-year-old Staffie with a 
heart full of love to give! This affectionate girl enjoys 
the simple things in life—leisurely walks, gentle 
exploration, and, most of all, cuddle time with her 
favorite humans. 

She walks beautifully on a leash, taking her time 
to sniff and enjoy her surroundings.Alma is likely 
housetrained and has a calm, easygoing nature that 
makes her a joy to have around. Whether you’re 
out for a relaxing stroll or curled up on the couch, 
she’ll happily be by your side. She thrives on love and 
companionship and would do best in a home where 
she can be part of the family.

 This sweet girl is very petite- she's just over 40 
pounds- perfect size for most laps! 

 Because of Alma’s age, she is eligible for Pasadena Humane’s Seniors for Seniors program. 
This means her adoption fee is waived for any adopter over 60 years young! 

If you’re looking for a loyal, affectionate companion, Alma might just be your perfect 
match! Come meet her and see if she’s the missing piece to your heart and home.

 The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, 
and age-appropriate vaccines. 

 Walk-in adoptions are available every day from 10:00 – 5:00. View photos of adoptable 
pets at pasadenahumane.org.

 New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal 
Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet. 

 Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by 
phone calls or email.

Above: Tina in front of the ruins of her home.

Below: The miniature library which survived the house fire 
--- and then some looters stole it.


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