10

Mountain View News Saturday, March 22, 2025


MEET CINNABON – 

YOUR SWEETEST 
COMPANION!

Cinnabon, age 4, is a stunning 
petite dilute calico with 
velvety soft fur just waiting 
for your gentle touch. Once 
a homeless kitty, she found 
herself in need of food and 
safety when her feeder passed 
away. Now, she’s ready to find a forever home where she 
can be cherished. This little lovebug adores ear and neck 
scratches, and she’s not shy about asking for them! She’s 
vocal, friendly, and will come 
right to you when called—
especially at breakfast time. 
One of her favorite pastimes? Playing with the mouse teaser! 
Cinnabon is a people-loving kitty who wants to be the center 
of attention, and she’d thrive as the only cat in a loving home. 
If you're looking for a devoted and affectionate companion, 
Cinnabon is your girl! Could you be the one to give her the 
cozy, love-filled home she deserves? 

She is totally vetted, healthy, and spayed. See more of her and 
submit the application to meet her at https://www.lifelineforpets.
org/cinnabon.html or use the qr code.


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:

COURAGE ESCAMILLA

HOW THE FIRE CHANGED AN ACTIVIST’S LIFE 
FOREVER

[To read the full interview with 
Courage, go to the Articles at www.
SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com]

 

Courage Escamilla is an actor, activist, 
and “adventurer in training” 
who moved to Altadena almost 
four years ago. He explains that 
it felt like he finally found home 
when he moved to Altadena, which 
he describes as “our little friendly 
corner of the county.” After many 
years of struggling in the city, he 
saw an opportunity to move to a 
small town once again but only after 
experiencing a great loss... He 
eventually found happiness until 
January 7th came…

 

JANUARY 7

“I was watching the Palisades fire 
spread ferociously when I got an 
alert that another fire had appeared 
in the Eaton Canyon at 8 p.m. It 
wasn’t even half an hour later when 
I got an order to evacuate on my 
Watch Duty app. It was during a 
terrible wind storm, so considering 
that a local weather activist 
had earlier stated that a fire at this 
time would be catastrophic, I knew 
this was serious. Since I had lived 
through so many years of home 
instability, I’ve always had an idea 
of what was truly irreplaceable. It 
was easy to pack and be ready but 
I only had a motorcycle so leaving 
with everything was a serious issue 
until a neighbor unexpectedly but kindly offered to take my bags in her car.” 

At the last minute, Courage decided to evacuate on his motorcycle 
with his neighbor behind him, braving the 80-100 mph 
winds on his bike until he arrived at a friend’s apartment in 
Pasadena. He was up all night researching all the information 
he could find about the fate of his street. Watching the TV 
for any information with his friends, it felt like watching the 
end of the world; learning about one neighborhood being destroyed…
and then another. He finally fell asleep at 7am and 
woke up at 9 a.m in a panic, quickly making the crazy decision 
to ride his motorcycle back into the destroyed zone to see if his 
home was still there.

“I HAD to know, No matter the risk.” he said.

On his motorcycle, he zipped around live power lines, almost 
every-other house on fire or reduced to smoldering rubble. 
Then after riding through a park to arrive on his street he was 
mystified to find that his house looked untouched. “But across 
the street” he exclaims “every house was gone or totally consumed 
by a blaze twice as high as the houses I had remembered. 
Incinerated pieces of their beautiful homes falling to the 
ground like the burning corpses of the lives I remembered.”

 

PUTTING OUT FIRES WITH POOL WATER

He soon found some of the other neighbors who had traveled back as well, and together they used five-
gallon buckets full of swimming pool water to put out the spot fires on their side of the street so they 
would not spread to their surviving homes. “Afterwards, I decided to stay for an additional two nights 
after the fire… with no wind the entire time I was there,” he explains. “Even still, the first helicopter 
didn’t appear until 5pm that first day. What’s worse, I didn’t see a single emergency vehicle extinguish a 
single fire or be put out by anyone but the neighbors and I. Brutally, it very much felt like saving Altadenan 
homes was not a priority. Trucks would just continue to drive past us again and again, in fact, many 
intact houses reportedly were left to freshly catch fire that next morning.”

To top it off, he had to deal with looters on his first night who tried to break through the barricades he 
made using his patio furniture to block access to his backyard. 

 

He eventually drove back to a place in Pasadena, knowing the National Guard would not let him back 
for some weeks.

 

FALLING IN LOVE WITH ALTADENA

As a result of the disastrous fire of the city he loved, Courage began by getting involved in the creation 
of movements that emerged from the fire. The first such group was “Altadena: Not for Sale’ for which 
he did lots of publici-ty, operating as a central captain and even becoming the face of Altadena in the 
various marches and protests.

About 9,000 structures were destroyed in the fire, with another 2,000 heavily damaged, and 20-40K 
people displaced, or unable to return. Sixty percent of Altadena no longer exists..

Courage has also become very involved with four other movements that he helped spearhead. 

These are Altagether which seeks to recruit neighborhood captains on every street to communicate the 
needs, concerns and progress of each area with the larger interconnected network in Altadena.

Even at the first sign of trouble getting some donations delivered, Courage took it upon himself to rent 
a U-Haul and deliver 200 boxes of donations to Altadena from Santa Clarita. 

As Native American man, he also says that he is “making a big effort to make sure that indigenous, 
brown and Latino people are not overlooked in this disaster. I want to give them visibility. Latinos make 
it 30% of Altadena”

“I want to be the connecting-tissue between all the different movements so I can cross-pollinate their 
efforts and create a culture of mutual respect and unity between everyone,” he says. “I refuse to accept 
this fate for them. I will not stop until every single person in Altadena has their life back.”

Contacts for Courage:

Courage Escamilla - Community organizer and activist

http://www.couragetheactor.com/altadena for all organized resources, directory of organizing 
efforts, local-ly-benefiting Altadena merch and a means of contact him.

Courage's GoFundMe: 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/stand-with-altadena-courage-needs-you

Donate to Help Courage Rebuild Altadena, organized by Courage Escamilla


Pet of the Week

 Wile is a striking 2-year-old Belgian Malinois mix with 
a big personality and an independent spirit. Weighing 
in at 60 pounds, Wile is a strong and confident dog 
who knows what he wants. He’s intelligent and self-
sufficient, making him a great match for someone 
who appreciates a dog that doesn’t constantly demand 
attention. If you’re looking for a loyal companion 
who enjoys having his own space while still being a 
dedicated best friend, Wile might just be the perfect fit.

 Wile is housetrained and has great manners indoors, 
making him an easy addition to a home that values 
structure and routine. He’s not one for rowdy dog 
parks or canine playdates—Wile prefers to be the only 
dog in the home, where he can truly relax and bond with his person. His independent nature 
means he enjoys exploring on walks and sniffing out interesting scents, but he also appreciates a 
cozy spot to unwind at the end of the day.

 This smart and capable pup would do best with an experienced dog owner who understands 
his working-dog mentality. Wile thrives with clear boundaries and a job to do, whether it’s daily 
walks, training sessions, or mentally stimulating activities. He would love a home where he can 
continue to learn and build trust with a patient and understanding human. While he may not be 
a social butterfly with other dogs, Wile is ready to be an incredibly devoted and loving companion 
to the right person.

 If you’re searching for a strong, independent dog with a big heart, Wile is waiting to meet you! 

 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.

Courage with “Altadena Not for Sale” sign Photo by C. Nyerges


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