Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, October 22, 2022

15 Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 22, 2022OPINIONOPINION 15 Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 22, 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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Mountain Views News 
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#327 
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91024 

Phone: 626-355-2737 

Fax: 626-609-3285 

email: 

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A member 
of the 
California 
NewspaperPublishers 
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 
MELANIA TRUMP THE PROPHET

 
Do you remember way back on September 28,2012 when the wife of the then (and I hope only then)
President of the United States on her way to visit a migrant 
child detention center wore a $39 jacket emblazoned 
with “I really don’t care, do you?” What a prophet she 
was. Today as I opened my cell phone the New York Times 
headline I read “Voters see Democracy in Peril, but Saving 
it isn’t a Priority”. My wife and I just returned from 

an East Coast trip and immediately noticed that much of the community has been 
busy displaying creatively carved pumpkins for Halloween. Many lawns display 
monsters and witches. Last week’s Mountain Views News is filled with a front page 
story about the need to save a local restaurant landmark while the inner pages are 
devoted to arguments and counter-arguments relating to the Meadows Project. It 
is not for me to criticize the newspaper since to me it is a major miracle that I am 
allowed to publish my thoughts and concerns and I care very much about the responses 
to the article. 

Since I returned the major realization I have had is that everyone is verybusy and agrees that Democracy is in peril but they are too busy to even think 
about doing anything about it. My mind pictures Melania Trump and her stupid 
jacket with its message that she doesn’t care much about anything but herself. She 
was upset that people thought she cared and wanted to correct that misassumption. 
As stupid as her action was, today I think she should be applauded for her willingness 
to actually do something to correct what she thought was wrong in the world. 
Her message of not caring about anything but herself turns out to be a prophesy 
about the nation’s indifference to a very possible destruction of all of our most important 
values. 

To me the present seems like a very bad dream. A substantial segment of 
America seems content to just create chaos. This is very hard for me to understand 
but I guess it is a reaction against what they recognize as challenging their 
established beliefs in White Supremacy and male dominance and the fear of immigrants. 
Talks of equality are threatening to them and related expanded social 
services which involves governmental monies being used to help the needy and the 
homeless is understood to be a threat to their personal stability. They believe that 
taxes are already too high and that people who were not fortunate enough to be 
born White and born in the United States simply are not entitled to have the opportunity 
that their choice of birthplace and race and perhaps gender has already 
given to others. 

If democracy means that these less fortunate people will be given more opportunity 
then Democracy itself must be defeated and the status quo of unequal 
opportunity must be preserved. It sickens me to even write this but factually Idon’t know what I can do about it. Each day my emails are filled with requests for 
donations—so many requests that I have become desensitized. I, like everyone else 
I guess, am surrounded by threatening news of climate disasters, ongoing wars, 
corrupt politicians, questionable science, threats of disease and more. Throw in 
predictions of possible use of nuclear weapons and it’s all too much. I understand 
why people would rather decorate for Halloween and argue about the consequences 
of the Meadows project, and feel concern about the interruptions to their children’s 
education. All of these shootings have made just walking around a fearful experience 
and I guess everyone feels the need for more security and from identity theft. 

We all have our own personal concerns, which contrary to the secure Mrs. 
Trump, which are now being threatened. I CARE about the maintenance of Social 
Security benefits and the availability of quality medical services. I CARE about 
my granddaughter’s future in terms of educational cost and quality and her future 
safety on this threatened planet. Melania Trump was able to do something about 
her own discomfort by displaying a sign that said I DON’T CARE. I DO CARE but 
frankly I don’t know what to do. I realize that this whole article is simply a cry for 
help. Please help me and help yourself by noticing what’s going on and making it a 
PRIORITY to do something about it. I don’t think voting and monetary contributions 
are enough but I don’t know what else to do. Hoping this is all a bad dream 
and waiting to wake up to a sane world can only provide solace for a while but if it 
works for you keep doing what you are doing. 

Surprise. It’s Thursday morning—6:30 A.M. I just took out the trash, fed 
the dog and opened the door for a dog walk. Right at our door step was a lovely 
woman bring the delivery from Costco right to our door. I am reading the Geena 
Davis Biography and looked her up on line and learned that she has been diagnosed 
with ADD. Guess what? I was told years ago that I was a poster-boy for ADD. Still 
today Geena is doing fine and really so am I and hopefully so are you. Yes I CARE 
but all we can ever do is take it one day at a time and it is a beautiful sunrise morning 
perfect for dog walking. 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 


Susan Henderson,
Editor/Publisher 


Mountain News News 
ENDORSEMENTS: 

Every election, the Mountain Views News 
brings together its 'Editorial Advisors' to discuss 
the candidates and issues that are on the 
ballot. When done, we have our endorsement 
list to share with you. 

SIERRA MADRE CITY COUNCIL (
Experience and past community service 
weighed heavily on this decision 

GENE GOSS

 EDWARD GARCIA

 KRIS LOWE 

NO ON MEASURE HR -A submission from Planning Commissioner 
Peggy Dallas best explain the reasons for this decisions. I 
yield this space to Commissioner Dallas: 

I'm on the Planning Commission and know more about the 
Meadows project than most people in town. 

I'd love to understand why those who support Yes on HR think it 
is a good choice. 

I suspect there are a lot of misconceptions out there as to what 
HR will and won't accomplish. I may be wrong. 

Please note that the three people who wrote the Yes on HR statement 
for the ballot info are all neighbors to the Meadows project. 

Do I want the land to stay a meadow? Absolutely! But it is private 
property, and something is going to be built there. That's a 
fact. It is private property, and the owner has chosen this path 
through legal due process for two years now. 

The city, with public input and with the city council and planning 
commission negotiating with the developer, has gotten many benefits 
for the town and significantly reduced the sizes of the homes. 

Look at the Specific Plan on the city website (see link below) to 
see the sizes of the homes (average home size is 3,500sf) and the 
varying styles (craftsman, modern, Spanish, farmhouse) and colors. 
No home will be repeated on any street. The 100 trees being 
removed will be replaced with 490 trees. 

Given all the various possibilities, including institutional, for development 
of the property, the Meadows development is beneficial 
for both the property owner and the town. 

The project has some cool attributes like the new 3-acre park, 
additional parking for Bailey Canyon and grey water systems for 
each home. Also, storm water run-off will be captured in a reservoir 
under the park so that it can seep back into our local aquifer. 
I have worked too hard and long on this with the Planning Commission 
to see all the benefits and concessions lost -including the 
nearly $1 million that the developer is paying the city for future 
water which may be used to repair/replace the aging city water 
lines. 
Sadly, if HR passes, the city may instead be paying massive legal 
fees because the property owner may sue for loss of property 
value and rights. 

Peggy Dallas, 
Planning CommissionerLink to Specific Plan: 
https://www.cityofsierramadre.com/common/pages/DisplayFile.
aspx?itemId=19018422 

RICH & FAMOUS 

SNAPPY ANSWERS TO 
STUPID QUESTIONS

As a “wannabe writer”, I have encountered 
the works of countless 
heroes I could thank. (Not “countless” 
because there are so many…
countless because I’m lousy at 
math.)
One writer, in particular, is an American cartoonist, Al Jaffee. His major 
literary success and accomplishment? 65 years of contributing to Mad 
Magazine!
Al’s most memorable contributions are a series of books entitled “Snappy 
Answers to Stupid Questions.” A veritable treasure chest of answers 
we would love to retort when queried with a certifiable “stupid” question. 
Questions like these:
#1. A man sitting at the end of a pier with a fishing line in the water and 
a fish in a barrel by his side.
“Did you catch that?” “No, I talked him into giving himself up.”
#2 A woman standing next to her identical twins“Are they twins?” “No, they’re a pair of identical strangers.”
#3 Same woman on her hands and knees on her front lawn 
“Are you looking for something?” “No, I’m grazing.”
“4 A man sitting in a chair with a dog in his lap“Is that your dog.” “No, it’s my neighbor’s dog. My dog is next door in 
my neighbor’s lap.”
#5 A woman strapped into an electric chair in a prison“Did you kill somebody?” “No, I’m here on a parking violation.”
#6 A man out on the highway with his car jacked up and a tire next to 
him 
“Are you changing a flat tire?” “No, I rotate my tires every day out in 
the middle of nowhere.” 
#7 A waiter with a pot of coffee standing at his customer’s table“May I pour some coffee in your cup?” “No, in my lap – I’m a little 
chilly.” 


Enough “stupid” questions. How about some silly and ironical questions 
to stimulate conversation with your children?

1. Are there male ladybugs? If not, why not? 
2. If animals could talk, which animal would be the rudest of them 
all? 
3. You’re asked to create a new holiday. What would you name it 
and how would we celebrate it? 
4. If you were instantly a superhero with a power that no other superhero 
has, what would your superpower be?
5. Why do round pizzas come in square boxes? 
6. If you own a piece of land, do you own it all the way to the center 
of the earth? 
7. Why do we say that an alarm clock goes ‘off’ when it actually 
goes on?
8. Do hummingbirds hum because they can’t remember the words? 
9. Do penguins have knees? 
10. Why do the words ‘overlook’ and ‘oversee’ have opposite 
meanings?
11. Why do we say ‘after dark, when it’s really ‘after light? 
12. Why are there ‘selfhelp’ groups? 
13. If you decide to describe yourself as indecisive, are you decisive 
or indecisive? 
14. Why isn’t the word ‘gullible’ in the dictionary? 
15. Can you blow up a balloon underwater? 
16. Why can’t we hum while our noses are plugged? 
On Saturday night, October 29th my band, JJ Jukebox, will be performing 
our now traditional Halloween concert at Nano Café in Sierra Madre. 
The event is also a celebration of someone I know’s birthday which is actually 
on Halloween (answers a plethora of questions about me). 

Your presents are not necessarily welcome, but your presence is. How 
long has it been since you heard songs like, “The Monster Mash”, Theme 
songs to “The Munsters” and “The Addams Family”?
Come enjoy a wonderful meal, drinking and dancing. 

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