Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 15, 2015

Mountain Views-News Saturday, August 15, 2015 5 
AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY 
Mountain Views-News Saturday, August 15, 2015 5 
AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY 
“What’s Going On?”

News and Views from Joan Schmidt 

DROWNING: 
THE SILENT KILLER OF CHILDREN 


Last week, we received horrific news. My former daughter-in-law’s twoyear old nephew drowned. The family lives in an apartment. There is apool and hot tub separated by large plants. The toddler had two brothers,
four years old and six years old, who I believe were initially with him. Theirmother was sitting at the pool area watching them. She left the little one“Only for five minutes” to take an older one to the restroom. 

It takes ONE SECOND for a tragedy to occur. This woman prided herself on taking her kids to lakes, rivers,
etc. and never letting them out of her sight. Perhaps she thought a hot tub was safe? I remember when mychildren were grown, that a toddler died in a toilet. I couldn’t believe it. But the toilet seats and lids MUST bekept down. The family was visiting the grandparents, someone left the seat up. An inquisitive toddler leansover and falls face down. His short legs prevent him from getting out. 

The following information was on line and provided by National Safe Kids Campaign) I know this is anunpleasant subject, but it needs to be discussed. Many parents don’t realize small spas/Jacuzzis; can be justas dangerous as a deep pool. I feel they are worst because people let their guards down. Even a five gallon tubis a killer. 

Drowning is the leading cause of death for infants and young children between 1-4 years old.
Drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury deaths in children, 1-14 years.
A swimming pool is 14 times more likely than a motor vehicle to be involved in the death of a child betweenthe ages of 4 and under. 

An estimated 5000 children ages 14 and under are hospitalized due to unintentional drowning-relatedincidents; 15% die in the hospital and as many as 20% suffer permanent neurological disability.
70% of preschoolers who drown were in the care of one or both parents at the time of the drowning. 

The majority of children who survive are discovered within 2 minutes following submersion. For everychild who drowns, another four received emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries. 

Children under one year most often drown in bathtubs, buckets, or toilets. Among children ages 1-4 years,
most drowning occurs in residential swimming pools. 

The percent of drowning in natural water settings such as lakes, rivers or the oceans increases with age.
Most drowning over 15 years occur in natural water settings. 

In 2007, there were 3443 fatal unintentional drowning- averaging about 10 per day. 

19% of drowning involving children occur in public pools with certified lifeguards. 

The last bullet blew me away. If anyone takes your child to a public pool, PLEASE keep them in sight. Evenin private pools, don’t take your eyes off your little ones. I hope this reminds everyone of water safety. 


KIMBERLY, KANSAS AND MADCATFISH BLUES FESTIVAL 

By La Quetta M. Shamblee 

Tell the fire department to be on stand by at 11am on Sunday, September 6th. That’s when The Scorch 
Sisters will set the mainstage on fire at Santa Anita Race Track with a sizzling performance to openthe second and final day of the inaugural MADCatfish Blues Festival. This all-female band has been 
gaining notoriety since forming in 2011 and making their rounds on the club and festival circuit.
Respected as a blues band, their website accurately describes their range of musical talents. “Addinga flavor funk, a soupçon of soul, and just a touch of jazz, the Scorch Sisters’ musical gumbo is hot,
tasty and soul-satisfying!” This performance will feature drummer, Andrea Byrd and bassist, SharonRay joining the three founding group members Francesca Capasso, vocals and percussions; AliciaMorgan, vocals & keyboards and our own Monrovia resident Kimberly Allison on guitar. 

It seems inevitable that any guitar player who grows up outside of Kansas City would becomeimmersed in blues music at some point. The city of Lawrence, located along the banks of the Kansasand Wakarusa Rivers served as the launching pad for the colorful music career of Kimberly Allison.
She started strumming the strings at age 13 and was obviously serious about mastering the basics,
because by age 16 she had a paid job as a musician in an all-girl band where all the other memberswere 30-something. The teenager was learning what it was like to gig on a regular basis as the grouptoured throughout the Kansas City region. At the time, the Go-Go’s were making history on thenational scene as the first all-female group to write and perform their own songs that topped theBillboard charts. 

Kansas City lays claim to jazz history dating back to the late 20’s and early 30’s. It was not until the 
40’s that outsiders began to associate Kansas with the blues. While most of her peers were engagingin typical teenage social activities, Kimberly was usually practicing or making her way to one of thelocal clubs to take part in a blues jam session. After graduating high school she moved to KansasCity to attend college, settling in the historic Westport area known for its bustling entertainment andnightlife. She was only 19, but as her network of musician friends expanded, her growing reputationas a musician placed her among an inner circle that stayed busy playing club gigs and special events. 

When asked 
about what 
has inspired

her musical interests, Kimberly says, (the late) “Steven Ray Vaughn opened my ears to all the legendary blues guitarists,
like Albert King, Albert Collins and others.” She also spoke of her excitement about having had the chance to meet both of 
these icons. The foundation laid by these pioneers continues to support the evolution of the genre, creating new brancheslike urban blues and electric blues. Kimberly is among the last generation who will have had the opportunity to sit in onjam sessions with some of the trailblazing blues, recording artists. 

Kimberly later made a move to Southern California to continue college studies and enrolled at the Musician’s Institutein Hollywood, CA. She went on to take classes at Long Beach City College before entering the music program for guitarstudies at USC, which places a heavy emphasis on jazz. By then, years of live jam sessions slamming down some blues hadprepared Kimberly for the rigors of theory and performance requirements to earn her degree. 

Like many artists who sacrifice everything for the love of their craft, after Kimberly graduated, she shares, “I lived in ashack for five years and played music for a living.” She toured with tenor jazz and blues saxophonist Joe Houston during that 
time. Growing tired with the “struggling artist” lifestyle as she approached turning 30, she realized she should probablyput her college degree to good use. A friend with a guitar school in Redondo Beach invited her to come and teach, whichlaunched the next phase of her career, that of a music educator. Around 2000, Kimberly relocated from Long Beach to San 
Gabriel Valley, where she began to offer private guitar lessons. Fifteen years later, her primary livelihood is derived from 
giving private music lessons in the Monrovia area. As a popular guitar instructor, she now enjoys a more comfortablelifestyle that still leaves plenty of room to perform and record. Years of sacrifice and dedication have already placedKimberly among an elite league of guitarists who are etching a place into blues history. For more information 
about the Scorch Sisters and this history making Labor Day Weekend festival, visit www.MADCatfish.net.