Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, February 4, 2023

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Mountain View News Saturday, February 4, 2023 

CHRISTOPHER Nyerges


FORREST & VIVIAN 

want to be your Valentine!

Can anyone take in two sweet siblings? 
They’ve been waiting so very 
long for a real home. Just like their 
siblings you met last week, they 
have a knack at melting hearts and 
getting along with dogs! Age 10 
mos., they're as cute and sweet as 
they look! 

FORREST is also known as “Mr. 
Handsome.” He looks like a little cheetah, and is a major cuddler. He loves to be petted and looks at 
you with eyes full of love! 

VIVIAN, with “bangs” over one eye, is always up for an adventure or a nap in the sun. She will tell 
you when it’s meal time, or petting time.

BOTH were raised with two nurturing doggies, so if you have a nice dog all the better. Find the 
adoption application on our website where you'll also find more adorable pix on our Teen Cats page. 

www.lifelineforpets.org.


HOW TO ORGANIZE FOR 
EMERGENCIES:

Is having a “survival group” a good idea?

[Nyerges is an educator, and author of books such as “How to Survive Anywhere,” “Urban 
Survival Guide,” and others. More details at www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com.]

Not long ago, our class was finishing a day-long field trip of practicing outdoor survival and self-
reliance skills, and our small group was now sitting around the fire talking. The subject moved to 
emergency action plans, and what contingencies any of us had in the aftermath of a major disaster.

“So how would we ever get together after a major disaster?” one woman asked me.

“We probably would have no way to get together,” I offered. “Of course, there is no predicting the 
future, but if we couldn’t use a car, and couldn’t get gas, and there was chaos on the streets, in the first 
few weeks, we’d almost certainly have to stay put wherever we’re living.” My response pre-supposed 
a serious disaster where all social services would be disrupted.

I’ve long recommended that people get to know their immediate neighbors, because they are your 
“family” in the aftermath of a major disaster, like it or not. Think global, as the saying goes, but act 
local. Enroll in local CERT training, such as the training offered here in Sierra Madre. I also suggest 
that you become active in Neighborhood Watch.

The woman then asked me, sort of a question and comment combined, “Well, don’t you have a tight 
survival group of people who would all come together in an emergency?” I knew she was thinking of 
how she might organize such a group where she lived, and I knew that she believed I have organized, 
or been a part of, such a secret or public “group.” 

I live in the northern section of Los Angeles County. The mountains are immediately to my north, 
but otherwise there is urban sprawl and freeways in all directions. In our class that day, the woman 
asking the questions had driven about a hundred miles, from San Bernardino County from the east. 
Three people had come over a hundred miles, from the high desert. One other person was local, and 
the rest lived between 30 and 45 minutes by car from me. We were all spread out. There was no way 
that this diverse group would ever come together in the sort of disaster (and end of the functioning 
of normal society) that she was envisioning.

“But don’t you have a survival group?” she again implored.

I began by sharing stories in novels I’d read, about a group of highly-trained people who came together 
after an end-of-the-world scenario, and how they worked together to form a new society. For 
example, such a group is depicted in Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged.”

“Your best bet is to work with your own family to make each person strong, healthy, and self-reliant,” 
I told her, “and to work with your local community to improve things.”’

How, for example, would a far-flung diverse group of people communicate with each other? If they 
were ham operators, it might be possible, but there would still be the problem of traveling a long 
distance under unsettled conditions.

I could see that this was not what the woman wanted to hear, so I shared more details with her and 
the rest of our small group.

In the planning sessions of which I’ve been a part, there are always “great ideas” from everyone, and 
countless scenarios are discussed about what might occur. However, in the real life, things never go 
that way. Any “group” might have one natural leader, even though there is an appointed or elected 
leader. That’s a problem. Sometimes the elected leader is not the natural leader, and so the group 
fractures or dissolves. There are also lots of lazy people, people who want to be a part of something 
but who are more talk than walk. Lazy and idealistic people have spelled the doom of many an alternative 
community.

Getting back to the woman’s question about the practical aspects of a small tight group getting together 
after a disaster, what else can go wrong with the “group” that plans to get together? For one 
thing, the ability to spring into action after an emergency requires the maintenance of physical fitness, 
and requires at least some level of economic autonomy, and knowing how to live one’s life so 
that you are, in fact, able to rise to the occasion of a severe emergency. The concept of such a survival 
group is not a passive concept. In order to be viable, it must be alive, dynamic, and involve regular 
training of some sort.

These are just a few of the reasons why “groups” don’t stay together, and it’s especially pertinent with 
a group that is expecting an end-of-the-world event in a way that may never actually happen in a way 
that they perceive.

We can’t predict the future, but learning new self-reliance skills will always serve you well, and those 
of your friends and associates who are of like-mind. But assuming you survive an event like a comet 
hitting the earth, or a major tidal wave, there’s no way that you can depend on any “group” that you 
might have developed.

Don’t get me wrong—organizing and working with such a group, whether a private family group, 
or a more public group such as CERT training – is a great idea. But just remember that life is a very 
dynamic thing, and as long as you’re willing to continually learn, and adapt to changing situations, 
you’re likely to do well regardless who you happen to be stuck with.

CERT

One of your best courses of action is to contact the Sierra Madre CERT group and take some of their 
training. If you live is a different area, contact your local emergency manager or FEMA at FEMA-
Prepare@fema.dhs.gov to find out what training takes place near your home.


Pet of the Week

Who doesn’t like a Rosé around Valentine’s Day? This sweetheart 
is bursting with love and ready to snuggle her way into your 
heart. 

 Rosé has a cute little snort when she gets excited, which is pretty 
often because she seems to adore everyone she meets! She likes 
short walks followed by long naps- she's definitely more couch 
potato than athlete. 

 She also might have a bit of a stubborn streak which we have to 
admit is pretty adorable- If she’s walking the way she wants to 
go, easy-peasy. If you want to turn to go in a different direction, 
she jams on the brakes until you can bribe her with a tasty treat. 
Rosé will keep you entertained ALL DAY!

 Rosé’s (and many other dogs) adoption fee will be only $14 from 
2/9 - 2/15 as part of the Be Mine Valentine’s Special! 

 The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog adoptions include 
spay or neuter, microchip, and age-appropriate vaccines. 

 New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness 
exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care 
for your pet. 

 View photos of adoptable pets and schedule an adoption appointment at pasadenahumane.org. 
Adoptions are by appointment only, and new adoption appointments are available every Sunday 
and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. 

 Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls 
or email. 


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