Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, August 31, 2019

MVNews this week:  Page 11

11

Mountain View News Saturday, August 31, 2019 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …August Birthdays*

Bill Nelson, Karlene Englert, Juanita Fernandez, Jeanette Francis, Joseph Kiss, Jacquie 
Pergola, Maury Whitaker, Pat Miranda, Phyllis Chapman, Jerry Burnett, Margaret 
Aroyan, Phyllis Burg, Beverly Clifton, Rosemary Morabito, Susan Poulsen, Joy Barry, 
Marcia Bent, Joan Spears, Ruth Torres, Jane Zamanzadeh.

 * To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. 
YEAR of birth not required

HART PARK HOUSE MONTHLY PROGRAMS: 

Unless listed differently, all activities are at the Hart Park House (Senior Center) 222 W. 
Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre

Hawaiian & Polynesian Dance Class: Every Tuesday Morning from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. 
Join the class with Instructor Barbara Dempsey as she leads you in the art of Hula!

Bingo Time: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00 p.m. Cards are only $0.25 each! Everyone is 
welcome to play! Activity may be canceled if there are less than five people.

Free Blood Pressure Testing: 2nd Tuesdays Monthly from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

Brain Games: Every third Thursday of the month at 12:45-1:45pm Join us for Scattergories, a creative thinking game by 
naming objects within a set of categories; or Jenga, a block-building challenge that keeps you stacking and bal-ancing your 
tower. Everyone is welcome, and no experience is needed. A great way to strengthen your mind and make new friends... 
Games are facilitated by Senior Volunteers. Will Resume in September 2019

Free Legal Consultation: Wednesday, August 14th from 10:30 a.m. - Noon. Attorney Lem Makupson is available for 
legal consultation. Specializing in Family Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates and Injury. Please call the Hart Park House for an 
appointment, 626-355-5278 ext. 704.

Senior Club: Meets Saturdays, Weekly at Hart Park House Brown Bag Lunch, great company and bingo at 11:30 a.m.

Chair Yoga: Mondays & Wednesdays 11:00 - 11:45 a.m. with Paul Hagen. Classes include Yoga and balance exercises. All 
ability levels are encouraged and welcomed!

Birthday Celebration: Every 2nd Thursday Monthly at the Hart Park House. Share free birthday cake and ice cream 
kindly provided by the Senior Community Commission!

Game Day: Every Thursday Monthly 12:00 Noon come into the Hart Park House and join a lively poker game with 
friends!

Free Strength Training Class: Fridays 12:45 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. with Lisa Brandley.light weights, low impact resistance 
training and body conditioning. Class equipment provided.

Gentle Yoga for Active Seniors: Every Monday & Wednesday from 8:15 - 9:45 a.m. with Andrea Walsh at the Hart Park 
House. Classes include complete floor relaxation, standing and floor postures, balancing, and featuring extended 
meditations on the fourth Wednesdays of the month! Call (626)-355-5278 for more information.

August Craft with Lawren—August 19th 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m.

Come on into the Hart Park House Senior Center and create one of a kind tea cup bird feeders. Paint a design of your 
desire or use one of several stencils that will be available for use. Then we will glue the two sections together and attach a 
chain or twin to hang from your favorite tree or display at your favorite outdoor seating area. 

8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Senior Cinema - 1st & 3rd Wednesday Beginning at 1:00 p.m. 


SEPTEMBER EXCURSION 

Los Angeles County Fair (Pomona) September 18, 2019 $10.00 

10:45 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Maximum 47 Participants 

• Level of Walking: High 

• Participants should bring money for lunch and souvenirs (optional)… 

• Must be 60 years or older • Must present I.D. at the gate. 

The Los Angeles County Fair is an annual event, one of the largest county fairs in all the U.S. Fair 
attendance has topped one million people every year with the exception of 1948. It is the 4th largest 
in the country serving as the premiere destination for visitors to engage in all kinds of activities 
including rides, animal shows, sumptuous food, music, concerts, and much more. 

***Resident and non-resident registration Now Open *** 

Last day to register is Monday, September 16, 2019.


SENIOR CINEMA - 1st & 3rd Wednesday 1:00 pm

ELECTRIC BIKES ARE 
BOOMING AMONG BABY 
BOOMERS

Dear Savvy Senior:

What can you tell me about electric bicycles? A friend of mine, who’s almost 70, recently got one and 
absolutely loves it. He told me he rides more now than he ever did his regular bicycle.

Interested Boomer

Dear Interested<

Electric bikes have become very popular among U.S. baby boomers over the past few years because 
they’re super fun to ride and easier on an aging body.

Electric bikes, also known as e-bikes, are conventional bicycles with a battery-powered “pedal” 
or “throttle” assist. When you saddle up and push the pedals or throttle, a small motor engages 
and gives you a boost, so you can whiz up hills, ride into headwinds and cruise over challenging 
terrain without gassing yourself or taxing your knee joints.

Many older e-bike owners say that they ride more frequently and go further and longer than they 
ever would with a traditional bike. Here’s what you should know about e-bikes, along with some 
tips to help you choose one.

What to Know

E-bikes are more complicated and expensive than regular bicycles, so you need to do some research 
before you purchase one. For starters, you need to know that there are three different 
types of e-bikes to choose from:

Class 1: “Pedal-assist” electric bikes that only provides assistance when the rider is pedaling, and 
only up to 20 miles per hour. These are the most common type of electric bikes.

Class 2: “Throttle-assist” e-bikes that let you use the electric motor without pedaling, like a motorcycle 
or scooter, but only up to 20 miles per hour.

Class 3: “Speed pedal-assist” e-bikes, similar to Class 1, except that the motor will assist with bike 
speeds of up to 28 miles per hour.

Because they’re electrically powered, states and local communities have varying regulations regarding 
the use of e-bikes. In many states, class one and two e-bikes are allowed to be ridden 
wherever a traditional bike goes, while class three are generally allowed on the street due to 
their higher top speed. For more information on your state’s e-bike laws, visit PeopleForBikes.
org/e-bikes.

You should also know that e-bikes come in many different styles – commuter, cruiser, mountain, 
road, folding, etc. – just like traditional bikes to meet different riding needs. They also run on 
rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, and their motors are either hub-driven mounted on the front 
or rear wheel, or mid-drive motors that are mounted to the frame at the bottom bracket between 
the cranks.

The only downsides of e-bikes are weight and cost. Because of the battery and motor, e-bikes are 
much heavier than traditional bicycles weighing 50-plus pounds, so it can be more challenging if 
you have to manually lift or maneuver your bike a lot. And e-bikes are expensive, typically range 
between $2,500 and $3,500.

E-bikes are made by many of the same established companies that make traditional bikes like 
Specialized, Electra, Schwinn, Trek, Giant, Cannondale and Felt, along with a number of upstarts 
like Juiced Faraday, Pedego, Elby and Hi Bike. To shop for an e-bike, find some good bike 
shops in your area that sell them so you can test ride a few.

If you’re interested in a cheaper option, there are also e-bike kits you can purchase at places like 
Walmart, Amazon.com and eBikeKit.com that can convert your regular bike into an e-bike for 
a few hundred dollars.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.
org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

September 4th “Men In Black, International ” PG-13; 1 hr. 54 min.

The Men in Black have always protected the Earth from the scum of the universe. In 
this new adventure, they tackle their biggest threat to date: a mole in the Men in Black 
organization.

September 18th “Breakthrough” PG; 1 hr. 57 min.

After a 14-year-old falls into a frozen Missouri Lake, his adoptive parents 
refuse to give up hope on their son, lying unconscious in a hospital bed. The 
boy’s mother prays intensely and inspires others to pray for him too, as she asks God for a 
miracle in this true story.


MEALS - ON - WHEELS PROGRAM

The Home Delivered Meals Program provides healthy meals to homebound Seniors 60 and above. Seven 
frozen meals, milk, bread and fruit are included and delivered once a week. $3 Donation per meal is 
suggested but remains completely anonymous and voluntary. Clients must be eligible and we invite you 
to contact YWCA Intervale Senior Services at 626-214-9467. SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT 
NOTICE SUGGESTED DONATION $3.00 1% LOW FAT MILK INCLUDED

OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder


STUCK BETWEEN 
A VIRUS AND A 
VARMINT 

Normally, I’m not a superstitious 
sort of a person. But then again there is a good case 
to be made that I am really not normal. If you stop 
to think about it, (and I have), the average person is 
a composite of everybody and the description ends 
up to be that of nobody. That is exactly what I think 
about being normal.

I must confess, I do have a sliver of superstition 
running through me somewhere. Often I have the 
feeling that someone is looking over my shoulder 
and smiling rather sarcastically. I cannot prove it, 
of course, but I know it is there.

Several things happened this past week emphasizing 
this feeling of mine, and I am not at all convinced 
that it is simply coincidental. After all, is 
anything coincidental?

It all started when the computer at the church was 
viciously attacked by a computer virus. Who do 
you call when your computer has a virus? And, 
what in the world is a virus doing inside my computer? 
Doesn’t it have something better to do?

I do not know all that is associated with this computer 
business but I do know the outcome of a 
computer virus. I was merrily working along 
on my keyboard when suddenly, out of nowhere 
(what is cyberspace anyway) my computer screen 
began to disintegrate before my eyes. By the time I 
had closed my mouth the whole business was over.

Now my problems were just beginning.

The computer had been attacked from somewhere, 
and there was not anything I could do to prevent it. 
There I sat with a ton of work to do and my computer 
had come down with a virus. I did not know 
what to do but I did know what I was tempted to 
do.

Nothing on my computer worked anymore. The 
best I could hope for was to take it to some computer 
repair shop and let them work on at for a 
week or two; meanwhile I’m not able to finish my 
work.

Then I had a brilliant idea. Actually, I am not sure 
it was a brilliant idea because I get so few ideas they 
all seem brilliant. I remembered something on the 
computer called the “restore point.” If I could find 
this I could restore the computer to before the virus 
hit it. It was a long shot, but it was the only shot 
I had at the time.

After some finagling with the thingamajig (pardon 
the technical terms) I managed to find the 
Restore Point and in a few minutes, voilà (pardon 
my French), the computer was back to where it was 
before the virus hit it. I do not know how it works, 
all I know is it worked and I was elated.

I was so proud of myself, which as everybody 
knows is the first step down. And I was about to 
go down.

I was back to my work schedule and quite pleased 
with myself and was riding pretty high when suddenly 
the lights flickered and then went out completely. 
There was no electricity in the church 
building.

The first thing to do when something goes wrong 
is to PANIC. Through the years, I have become an 
expert in this area of panic. I have had plenty of 
practice.

Once I have thoroughly worked my way through 
the panic stage, I thought perhaps the church did 
not pay the electric bill. Upon checking, I discovered 
the bill had been paid. But still no electricity.

It was my privilege to call our friendly energy company 
and request a service call. Usually, there is 
a seven-year wait for all service calls in our area. 
That is just how thorough our electric company really 
is. They will go on no call before their time. 
In the meantime, I am sitting in the dark hearing 
some spooky noises, if I say so myself.

To my delight within an hour, the service truck 
from the electric company arrived on the scene. 
After a thorough investigation, the repairman discovered 
the trouble. I was rather worried that there 
was a major problem inside the church building 
that would cost thousands of dollars to repair.

But I was to be delighted for the second time that 
day when the repairman informed me of the nature 
of the trouble. It seems the trouble was on the 
outside of the building. As everyone knows, that is 
the responsibility of the electric company.

The problem turned out to be of the varmint kind. 
A nut-challenged squirrel had eaten through one 
of the major electric lines on the outside of the 
building thus cutting off all electricity from going 
inside the building.

“Here’s your problem, Rev,” the repairman said 
with a big grin smeared on his face. With that, he 
held up a nicely fried squirrel.

With the electric back on and at my computer 
purring like a kitten, I thought of a verse of Scripture. 
''And we know that all things work together 
for good to them that love God, to them who are 
the called according to his purpose.'' (Romans 8:28 
KJV).

Sometimes little things can frustrate us. But no 
person is defined by any one day or one incident. 
These little problems are usually temporary and 
serve only as a reminder that we are not in charge 
of anything at all.

Does anybody have a recipe for fried squirrel?

Dr. James L. Snyder, pastor of the Family of God 
Fellowship, lives with the Gracious Mistress of the 
Parsonage in Ocala, FL. Call him at 352-687-4240 
or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. The church web 
site is www.whatafellowship.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