Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, August 20, 2022

Mountain View News Saturday, August 20, 2022 

NIGERIA NEEDS YOUR VOICE 

On Thursday, August 
11th, 2022, The 
Sierra Madre Rotary 
Club hosted a fireside 
chat with Father 
Mike Ohanete in the 
home of Tom and Julie 
Brady. 

Father Mike is a Catholic 
Priest, born and 
raised in Nigeria. Father 
Mike is currently 
covering for Father 
Tom Baker, the pastor 
at St. Rita's Church 
in Sierra Madre while 
Father Tom is on vacation. 
They have 
been close friends and 
associates since 2007. 

Father Mike spoke 
about how Nigeria has 
turned from a peaceful 
and happy country, 
where Muslin and 
Christians have lived 
side by side peacefully 
for centuries into a country filled with fear and violence. In 2015 Muhammadu 
Buhari took over as president through a rigged election. President 
Buhari has since, directly and indirectly, appealed to the Fulani peoples to 
descend upon Nigeria to eradicate Nigerian Christians using threats, terror, 
torture and murder. 


The Fulani tribes are nomad Muslims that herd cattle all over Africa. They 
live in tents in the bush. The Fulani people are now infiltrating Nigeria and 
are attempting to scourge the country of all Christians with the Christian 
clergy at the forefront of their violence. 

Father Mike shared that he has been able to sleep while visiting here in 
America. In Nigeria “sleep is a luxury that you can’t afford, as you don't 
know if someone is going to try to break in and kidnap or kill you.” People 
travel during the day and avoid being out after sun down. The Fulani people 
are more active and aggressive at night. Their acts of killing and maiming 
of innocent people are tacitly approved by the government of Buhari 
and his cabals. 

Father Mike shared Nigeria's love and appreciation for America. His face 
lit up when he talked about America and how it represents tolerance and 
freedom for all religions to the Nigerian people. 

To give your support to the Nigerian people, please send letters/emails/messages 
to President Buhari and the Nigerian senate thoughtfully asking them 
to cease their purge of Nigerian Christians. Email info@statehouse.gov.ng 
or message FB/Muhammadu Buhari. 

If you would like to donate funds for security and security personnel to protect 
churches and clergy members as well as provide needed shelter, repairs 
and clothing to the Nigerian people, please send it to Father Tom at St. Rita's 
church with a note "For Nigeria/Father Mike". 

Brave Father Mike’s parting prayer as he returns to Nigeria, “Let nothing 
trouble you, let nothing affright you, all things pass, God never changes, Patience 
obtains all things, he who has God finds he lacks nothing, God alone 
suffices. --St. Theresa of Avila.” 

Thank you for your voice and support.
The Sierra Madre Rotary ClubSubmitted By: Kellie Strubinski 


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WALKING SIERRA MADRE - The Social Side 

by Deanne Davis 

“A room without books is like a 
body without a soul.” Cicero 
“The summer night has a smile of 
light, and she sits on a sapphire 
throne.” Barry Cornwall 

“It doesn’t matter what you look 
at, it’s what you SEE.” 

This past week I’ve been seeing 
a lot of books as it’s too hot 
to actually get it together and 
accomplish anything requiring 
going outside. Finished Elin 
Hilderbrand’s book, “The 
Perfect Couple,” and Susan 
Wiggs’ “Between You and Me.” 
I thoroughly enjoyed both of 
these. Lots of drama, angst, 
regret, secrets, a little possible 
murder and people not being what the world thinks they are. My favorite is still Susan Wiggs’ “The Lost 
and Found Bookshop.” I’m surrounded by books here in my house but I’m kind of ashamed to admit that 
I do most of my reading on my Kindle or my phone. This doesn’t keep Barnes & Noble in business, but 
when you want something new right this minute, it’s just a button-push away. I fear I’ve become one of the 
“Instant Gratification takes too long!” generation. 


Sharing my innermost thoughts this week, here’s another: I love doing puzzles. My granddaughter, Jessie, 
and I have done so many of them. That’s the picture this week, puzzles on the shelf we have completed 
together over the years. However, her other grandparents recently gave her a new puzzle of Mesa Verde 
National Park. Mesa Verde is located in Montezuma County, Colorado, and shows the Hisatsinom ruin, 
cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde. We have had this puzzle out for weeks and have made absolutely no progress 
on it. However, we shall continue, we shall prevail! If you’re a puzzle fan, you know how we feel. Frustrated!! 

August has worn out her welcome as far as I’m concerned. The summer night may have a smile of light but 
I’m really tired of her! I’m so ready for Fall. I want to put my collection of pumpkins out all over my house, 
I want to pick a big one out of the giant box full of them at the market. I want a pumpkin spice latte. Yes, 
I know Starbucks is raising the price to where a small indulgence is turning into a significant luxury, but 
I just really want one. I want to wear a sweater! And maybe jeans! And take a coat with me! I’m so ready 
for Fall! 

“Advice from a pumpkin: Be well rounded, give thanks for life’s bounty, have a thick skin, keep growing, be 
outstanding in your field…Think Big!” 

“Aprils have never meant much to me; autumns seem that season of beginning…Spring!”
Truman Capote 

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the Fall.” F. Scott Fitzgerald 

You’re probably ready for Fall, too. There are so many great songs about September: 
“September” by Earth, Wind & Fire; “Wake Me Up When September Ends” Green Day; “September Morn” 
Neil Diamond; and, best of all, “September Song” by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson. 

Songs about August? Well, much to my surprise, there are some: “First Day in August” Carole King; “The 
33rd of August” Waylon Jennings; “August is Over” We the Kings (a wishful thinking song if ever I heard 
one) and Neil Diamond’s “Hot August Night” album, with all the great songs in it. OK, I’ll quit August 
bashing and quietly count the days till September. Speaking of counting days, there are only 137 days left 
in 2022, and 131 days till Christmas. 

New topic, friends and neighbors: Facebook and Photography! I love Facebook. I know a lot of you don’t, 
but in my gentle Facebook world, all I see are the faces of family and dear friends and pictures of wonderful 
things. Yes, all my grandchildren, but other wonderful things, too. For instance…there are a number of 
great photographers in Sierra Madre who display their excellent work on Facebook for all the world to see. 
At the top of my list, currently, is Ken Fong, who takes the most extraordinary pictures of hummingbirds. 
To quote Ken from his Facebook page: “After teaching myself how best to photograph hummingbirds in 
our backyard for the past several years, these are by far my best. (I agree!) Rare moments captured, sharp 
details, stunning colors. If you’ve seen my earlier albums of hummers drinking from this fountain, they 
were either perched on one side of the lip or I only managed to capture a few frames of their drinking. I’ll 
be submitting one of these in the 2022 AFC Nature Photography contest.” Ken’s pictures of birds are simply 
breathtaking. You need to take a look! 

Another of our Sierra Madre photographers to be found on Facebook is Sharon Pevsner, who takes glorious 
pictures of sunrises from mountain peaks all over our area. Seeing downtown Los Angeles through Sharon’s 
eyes early in the morning is a definite lifter of the spirits. Lawrence Taylor takes so many pictures around 
town but his specialty is beach pictures. He manages to find pristine stretches of beach, deserted lifeguard 
towers, sunsets to take your breath away. 

In addition to works by fabulous photographers, my Facebook shows beautiful landscapes sent along 
by friends, awesome and unusual birds and animals, places I never knew existed and, of course, an 
inspirational and uplifting thought or two. And bears, my friends! So many Sierra Madreans take fabulous 
pictures of bears wandering through their yards, lounging in their trees, relaxing in their pools…these are 
such a delight to see, in addition to the deer who nibble gardens here and there. John and I spent so many 
hours walking up in the canyon seeing deer who would turn their beautiful heads and look at us before 
resuming their snack of someone’s roses. We would look at each other, sharing the wonder, and stand for 
minutes watching these beautiful creatures just a few feet away from us. My friend, Bob Gollihugh, who 
lives in Monrovia, posts so many pictures of bears and deer who frequent his front yard. And I see them 
all on Facebook. 

If you’re not a Facebook fan, you might consider taking a look at the work by these local photographers. 
You’ll be glad you did. You may discover a treasure that fits your heart and mind right this very minute! 
Meanwhile…Celebrate Everything! 

“Sunrises & Sunflowers Speak Hope” 
Supplies a little hope on every page. 
Look for it on my book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis 
“Star of Wonder” is now on TuneCore! Take a look! 
It’s the fabulous music from “Star of Wonder – A Christmas Musical” 
Lyrics by me, Music by David Wheatley 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 
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