Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, October 15, 2022

15 Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 15, 2022OPINIONOPINION 15 Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 15, 2022OPINIONOPINION 
MOUNTAIN 

VIEWS 

NEWS 

PUBLISHER/ EDITOR

Susan Henderson 

PASADENA CITY 
EDITOR 

Dean Lee 

PRODUCTION 

SALES 

Patricia Colonello 
626-355-2737 
626-818-2698 

WEBMASTER 

John Aveny 

DISTRIBUTION 

Peter Lamendola 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Stuart Tolchin 
Audrey SwansonMeghan MalooleyMary Lou CaldwellKevin McGuire 
Chris Leclerc 
Bob Eklund 
Howard HaysPaul CarpenterKim Clymer-KelleyChristopher NyergesPeter Dills 
Rich Johnson 
Lori Ann Harris 
Rev. James SnyderKatie HopkinsDeanne Davis 
Despina ArouzmanJeff Brown 
Marc Garlett 
Keely TotenDan Golden 
Rebecca WrightHail Hamilton 
Joan Schmidt 
LaQuetta Shamblee 

Mountain Views News 
has been adjudicated asa newspaper of GeneralCirculation for the County 
of Los Angeles in CourtCase number GS004724: 
for the City of SierraMadre; in Court CaseGS005940 and for the 
City of Monrovia in CourtCase No. GS006989 and 
is published every Saturday 
at 80 W. Sierra MadreBlvd., No. 327, Sierra 
Madre, California, 91024.
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A member 
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Association 

Mountain Views News 

Mission Statement 

The traditions of 

community news


papers and the 

concerns of our readers 


are this newspaper’s 
top priorities. We 
support a prosperous

community of well-
informed citizens. We 


hold in high regard the 

valuesoftheexceptional

quality of life in our 

community, includingthe magnificence of 
our natural resources. 


Integrity will be our guide. 

PUT THE LIGHTS ON

STUART TOLCHIN 
MANKIND, WOMANKIND, BE KIND

 
During the last week I have been traveling to wonderful plac


es. Going to a wedding and visiting friends. Right now I am at


tempting to compose this article in the remarkably beautiful city 

of Brewster in Cape Cod. We have just returned from breakfast at 

a place called Grumpy’s so comfortable and unusual that I bought 

a T-Shirt which displays the name. Cape Cod is a beautiful spot 

known as a kind of retirement resort. But one thing that bothered 

me was the almost com-plete absence of men in the restaurant. 

Eventually, to the discomfort of my wife and her friend, I turned 

to the the table behind us at which were seated ten grey-haired 

women. “What happened to the men” I politely asked. “Oh, we 

are all widows”was the surprisingly jolly reply.

 It got me to thinking. What has happened to the men? Did they perhaps prem-aturely diefrom discomfort and disrespect? As I have gotten older I have noticed a common disturbinginteraction between my similarly aged old male friends and their wives. Generally, actually 
without exception, the men are almost a decade older, more or less than their wives. These 
men are all, much like I was formerly interesting, creative men who have now aged and 
retired. Many of the men have become hard of hearing much to the consternation of their 
wives. There is a con-stant repetition of “Whats” and “huh” followed by “how many times do 
I have to repeat it” and “you bought the hearing aids, why don”t you wear them”.

 Really, it’s not just about age and hearing problems. In our short lifetimes there has been 
a complete change in what was universally pretty much accepted as the normal, almost God-
given division of labor. Men worked outside of the home and provided the income for a family 
unit. This outside the home work was not only the thing that provided financial support 
but the Man’s work also established the social position for the whole family. Was the familyliving in an apartment or in their own home. The kind of home and the size of the backyard 
influenced social status.

 A former friend of mine actually had a feeling of overall deprivation which she explained 
was related to the fact that her family had the smallest yacht in the yacht club. I laugh at this 
as one should but the fact is that this woman worked very hard as a lawyer and became an 
officer of the Beverly Hills Bar and, although I have not talked to her in fifty years, I am pretty 
sure her yacht now is nothing to be ashamed of.

 I’m kidding about the yachts but what I’m really talking about is that this woman, and 
every other woman so inclined, are able to get out of the house and get an education and become 
a professional somerthing or other and not be de-pendent on some man for financial 
support or social starus or anything else. 

Well, of course there is one thing that men are still good for I guess and many men were 
probably not even particularly good at that that. Man, the necessary in-seminator, is just 
not as necessay as he once was. Creating and raising a family is just not as important to the 
present generation as it was at the time of my birth. People choose to start families at much 
later ages, or choose not to have children at all. Even when there are families divorces have 
become almost the rule. 

My point in talking about this is that the responsibilities of most men heve drastically 
changed. Before their fortunate prebirth choice of gender allowed them be placed in a superior 
position. Their job was basically to provide financial sup-port and not have to worry 
about domestic duties—you know cooking, cleaning, and such stuff. Their financial contribution 
automatically provided thim within the home with a certain respect and deference. 
“Wait ‘ til daddy gets home”. 

In my lifetime this respect has gradually withered away as the now financially independent 
other members of the family can expect the man to do the necessary things within the home 
and to do them correctly. The problem is that even when the man is willing to do what was 
formerly “women”s work” they are just not prepared to do it very well and are subject to criticisms 
for failing to put the tops back on the jars or leav-ing the refrigerartor open or just not 
noticing things that should be noticed.

 This all sounds petty but I have participated in many all-male conversations talking about 
their wives (who now frequently earn more than their men-folk) about how they are cfriticized 
for being inattentive, inept, and accused of never do-ing anything right. The former 
rulers of the kingdom feel attacked and often feel the criticism is justified. The women really 
are better at many things and we have reached a time when it may be reasonable to ask “What 
are men for? “ 

Don’t bother trying to answer the question. Yes, there are special things that men can 
do just as there are special things that women can do. I personally be-lieve that maintainingloving, stable, caring, respectful familial relationships are the basis of a strong caring society. 
Perhaps the uncertainties related to the con-temporary obligations of men are connected 
to why there exist tables full of widows. Dissatisfactions within the marriages undoubtedly 
contribute to continuing generational confusion. Why is there so much adolescent depression 
and 

even suicide. We all need to appreciate how hard things are for everyone else as well as ourselves. 
Please BE KIND! 

DINAH CHONG WATKINS 


CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE WRONG KIND 

CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS 

“Celebrities! They’re just like us!” We want them to be 
like us but only after a session with professional stylists, 
hair and make-up. There’s something intoxicating when 
a celebrity is transported to your phone, laptop, tv, stereo 
or paper. Their carefully groomed persona’s lure us into 

wanting us to be their friend, their very best friend. And 
here within the heartbeat of Hollywood, hasn’t everyone been touched by a Star? 
You’re the most envied person at your Midwest high school reunion, little do theyknow that driving on the 101 or worse, the 405 is a mighty high price to spot a celebrity 
in their natural habitat. Still, who would pass on an impromptu encounter at 
Amazon Fresh, reaching for the same butternut squash as Brad Pitt! 

Fame tricks the mind and ties the tongue. Suddenly, there’s a disconnect be-tween 
your brain and body. My first encounter with a celebrity was when I was five. We 
were driving down to Chinatown to get our weekly fix of BBQ pork when from 
the backseat of our station wagon I saw the car beside us was being driven by Mr. 
Dress-up! He was our Canadian version of Mr. Rogers only even more polite if that 
was actually possible. Every weekday afternoon I would watch him on TV with 
Casey, his wooden eyed sidekick and the un-fortunately named Tickle Trunk. 

I don’t use the word “agog” lightly, but I was agog. Totally transfixed, I pasted myface to the window, babbling like a one year old. I tried to roll down the window to 
wave at Mr. Dress-up but I forgot how to. Then he took the next exit and sped away. 
Mr. Dress-up can drive a car! He was just like us. 

But we don’t really want them to be just like us. No, we want to be like them. Fame, 
adoring fans, wealth, VIP treatment, mingling with other celebrities, we want to be 
like the top shelf Scotch, not the Two Buck Chuck. 

For a fleeting afternoon I once experienced fame. My fans shouted out my name 
with glee. They ran up to me and hugged me with unbridled enthusi-asm and yes 

-love. 
As a side hustle, I did children’s parties. At that time, Barney the Purple Dino-saur 
dominated the Pampers Pull-Ups set like a tyrannosaurus on crack. Being halfway 
across the world, I didn’t worry about trademark infringement and had a Barney 
costume made. Coincidentally, Halloween was just a few days after the costume 
arrived. I suited up and my husband accompanied me, busi-ness cards at the readyfor all those Hermes bag-carrying moms. The kids rushed at me as if I were a loose 
hundred dollar bill. “Barney! I love you!”, they squealed. Their adoration was addicting, 
but after half an hour, the sweaty suit was not. Later, I hired a high school 
freshman to jump around in the Barney suit at my parties, I paid her the equivalent 
of babysitting wages and signed it off as community service hours so we both came 
out ahead. 

Being a celebrity, it must get annoying to have to put on the full armor of make-up 
or adjust that toupee just to get a espresso at the corner cafe, otherwise you’d find 
an unflattering photo of yourself on the tabloid pages of “Celebrities - They’re Just 
Like Us!” Maybe, the best way to be a celebrity is in full costume like Rampage, the 
LA Rams mascot; but how to down that half shot, light on the oat milk, no foam 
latte? 

BEAN TOWN - BACK IN THE DAY 


Sierra Madre is a great town for meeting new people and making new 
friends. Beantown played an important role in a friendship I made 
with my friend George Maurer who would have celebrated his 100th 
birthday on October 5th. When I heard of the possibility of Beantown 
closing, my thoughts immediately went to the many, many memories 
that Beantown created for me and my friend.

For many years George ran the hot lead printing press for the local 
paper. He loved his family and was a kind soul. In a stationwagon he 
provided George started and ran for 17 years the ambulance service for 
Sierra Madre Fire Department. George was a good friend to everyone 
and always ready to help anyone who needed a hand. George and I sat 
on a committee discussing the pros and cons of having paramedic service 
in SM, we were on opposing sides and had a few exhausting meetings, 
we always walked out still friends that could agree to disagree. 

One day, George invited me to coffee at Bean Town and what an experience 
that was. George introduced me to an interesting group of 
men. They consisted of Later on I found out the group was called the 
Liar’s Club for a good reason. Imagine sitting at a table with the likes of 
George Maurer, Doug Berkshire retired city treasurer, Gordon Caldwell 
who owned GEM Plumbing and was in the Navy during WWII. There 
was Dr. Paul Neiby, a surgeon, who George loved to taunt, Paul Duncan 
a retired LAPD motor officer, Maury Whittaker retired JPL employee I 
think, and Jessie, a Gardner with the Huntington Library. That grouphad an opinion about everything, especially whatever was going on in 
Sierra Madre. 

The Bean Town Liars table was always full of laughs, Matt and Dave 
occasionally would come over and stand or sit with us and join in on 
the story telling. This went on for over 10 years, who knows how longbefore I joined. Family members would drop in just to see what drew 
the old men out of the house 5 days a week. Wives with grown children 
visited and laughed along with us all. Millie Duncan would visit with 
her daughter Criss sometimes. One day Millie told us she wanted a 
new car but Paul didn’t, and that was it? Poor Paul couldn't buy her a 
car quick enough to get us off his back! Susan Henderson was even 
know to visit on occasion only to have George start taunting her, he 
really enjoyed her giving it right back at him. The political views were 
always clashing. 

Joe Pergola, a cabinet maker and wood working craftsman would visit 
sometimes but was always hurrying off to finish a job. 

Bean Town provided a second home too many over the years. The 
bakery and breakfast was always delicious and enjoyed by many. I 
know if the Liars Club was still around today they wouldn’t let Bean 
Town close the doors, they would find a way to keep the Bean Town 
tradition going. Gary Hood, Sierra Madre 


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