Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, February 29, 2020

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 29, 2020 

CELEBRATING 90!

WALKING SIERRA MADRE - The Social Side 

 by Deanne Davis

“It’s been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon…the little town that time forgot and the decades cannot 
improve.” Garrison Keillor

Remember “The Prairie Home Companion” that was on the radio from 1974 to 2016. We seldom 
missed it, especially Garrison’s monologue that always began with “It’s been a quiet week in Lake 
Wobegon…” John and I actually got to see The Prairie Home Companion some years ago when our 
son-in-law, Chuck, and daughter, Leah, took us to the Greek Theater (I think…) and we spent a 
delightful sunny afternoon watching this charming program unfold. 

I was thinking about that as this week has been anything but quiet! Yesterday 12-year old Jessie 
planned to make popcorn in the microwave and, like so many of us, was doing the task with her mind 
elsewhere so pressed the “Popcorn” button three times and, as smoke filled the house, the parents 
came running and arrived just in time to stop what could have been quite a fire. Smoke still lingers in 
the house. When Jessie and Emily arrived to have dinner at my house last night they reeked of smoke. 
Pretty exciting. Made me think of the great preacher, Dr. J. Vernon McGee, whose radio program, 
“Through the Bible Radio” is still playing somewhere today, even though he’s been in heaven since 
1988. You’re probably wondering how I’m going to connect burning microwave popcorn with a great 
preacher… here it is: Dr. McGee said, “… some believers will enter into heaven with little reward and 
their clothes smelling like smoke.” 

I suggested some cinnamon mixed with water in a bowl and allowed to heat up in the microwave. 
Does wonders when one has cooked fish. Didn’t do much for the smoke.

Moving right along, today is Fat Tuesday, tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and just like that, we’re in Lent 
with Easter arriving on Sunday, April 12th. Lent is a 40-day period when a lot of people think of self-
denial, i.e., giving up something; like coffee. Giving up coffee is a very bad idea as here’s what happens: 
headache, fatigue, low energy, irritability, anxiety, poor concentration, depressed mood and tremors, 
which can last anywhere from two to nine days. Enough time to make everybody in your life wish 
you’d given up almost anything else, including being anywhere near them. One could consider giving 
up ice cream, chocolate, tacos, or The National Enquirer as seen when you’re in line at the grocery 
store.

Our pastor one year decided to give up listening to the radio in his car. He almost lost his mind and 
those 40 days of lent were the longest and most miserable of his life. 

Instead of giving up something, think about adding something. No, not candy, unless it’s those 
Cadbury caramel filled chocolate eggs. Think about adding a new practice to your day. This isn’t too 
hard…well, most of the time… but think about making it a practice to say something nice to everyone 
you encounter. Something along the lines of “that color blue looks really great on you.” Consider 
adding more “thank you’s” into your day. You can sprinkle those just about anyplace and they’ll fit. 

Back to giving up stuff, how about going through your closet and giving up all the stuff you haven’t 
worn for a year. The Goodwill and Salvation Army folks will welcome you with open arms and give 
you a tax receipt when you give them those shoes that never did fit you very well, the sweater your 
Aunt Agnes gave you for Christmas five years ago that’s a size too small and covered with elves; all 
the book you’ve already read that are just collecting dust on your shelves; the clothes your kids have 
outgrown that are just sitting in their drawers taking up space they need for what actually fits them 
now. You can do someone else a favor and yourself one, too. Yes, I know, this represents a lot of work 
but if you do a drawer or a shelf every day, you’ll be amazed to see how much progress you’ll make 
and you’ll feel so proud of yourself. Treat yourself to a vente Starbucks latte on the way home from 
Goodwill.

Meanwhile, after all the rain we had recently, the weeds – picture of these big stinkers here - are 
emerging like never before. I’m pulling fifty of them out of the ground every time I walk out the door 
and it doesn’t seem to make any difference, but I figure all that bending over has to be good for me. 
The biggest and healthiest ones are just beyond my reach by my back wall and the dandy tool I got at 
Home Depot doesn’t reach them either. I wonder if I could convince my garden to give up weeds for 
lent. Probably not. 

Thrilled to see RT Rogers Brewing Co. is celebrating their second anniversary on March 7th with what 
sounds like a great party. I first met Ryan Rogers in March of 2017. He was up to his hips in a deep hole 
in the ground, wielding a shovel and creating an even bigger, deeper hole, along with lifetime family 
friend, Dave Bergman. His mom and dad, Joanna and Kelly, were there to lend moral support as the 
diggers carved out a trench for the pipes which would connect to the restrooms. Ryan, in addition to 
creative shoveling, is a brewmaster of the finest kind, having been brewing beer since he was 16 years 
old, fermenting grains in his closet and experimenting in his mother’s kitchen. RT Rogers Brewing Co. 
has grown into a delightful place to spend an hour or so and enjoy one of their craft brews. I’m hoping 
to be there on the 7th to celebrate with them. 

One last thought…rumor has it that Benjamin Franklin originally said, “Beer is proof that God loves 
us and wants us to be happy.” Benjamin would really have enjoyed RT Rogers Brewing Company. You 
will, too!

My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis – check out

“The Crown” -a great Easter story.

“Sunrises and Sunflowers Speak Hope” 

Is available on Amazon.com as are all the

Emma Gainsworth adventures, including:

“Emma’s Etouffee Café” a new Kindle story by me!

Here’s the link so you can take a look:

https://fave.co/2PItO4d

ROSEMARY ABERNETHY 

Turns 90 and has lived in Sierra Madre over 84 years.

With the gracious 
help of the Kensington 
Sierra Madre for the 
location, Monsieur 
Crepe for food, and 
the Bottle Shop 
for beer and wine 
Rosemary will be 
celebrating her 90th 
birthday on Monday, 
March 2, 2020 from 
5PM to 8PM.

Mayor Pro Tem 
John Capoccia will 
be happy to attend 
Mrs. Abernethy’s 90th 
birthday celebration 
on March 2nd at the 
Kensington. He will 
be presenting her 
with a proclamation 
from the City. 

Rosemary Abernethy was born on March 2, 1930 at the Pasadena Hospital, which was later named 
Huntington Memorial Hospital. She came home to Sierra Madre with her parents Tom and Alice 
Tarwater to an older brother Tom. Her younger brother Ted was born later.

She lived on Windsor Lane at two different locations. The first was next door to the Bakery next to 
the alley behind the business district. After the bakery burned down, the family moved up Windsor 
Lane to the corner of Montecito and Windsor. Then moved to the corner of Highland and Lima. She 
attended Sierra Madre School, Wilson, and Pasadena Junior College.

She met Jim Abernethy at a local malt shop which now houses Wisteria Grill. Had her father known 
she was at the malt shop she would have been given the “dickens”.

She married Jim in 1949 and went to San Diego while he finished his schooling and naval enlistment 
commitment. She had her first child, Jim, in 1950 and then moved to a home on Berkley Avenue, 
Pasadena and had her second son Stephen. 

In 1955 she had her third son, Mark, and moved back to Sierra Madre; living on Wilson Street across 
from the Alverno convent.

Her last son, Jon, was born in 1959 at the Sierra Madre Hospital, which sat on the grounds of the 
current Sierra Madre Kensington.

With a forth son it was necessary to find a larger home and moved to a home on San 
Gabriel Court in 1959. Rosemary has two grandsons, Trevor and his wife Kendra 
who live in Washington state, and Kevin and his wife Megan who live in Texas. She 
also has two great-granddaughters Holly and Charlotte living in Washington.


Rosemary started working wrapping Christmas gifts at Sears in Pasadena on Foothill. The following 
year she was wrapping gifts at Hinshaw’s in Arcadia on Baldwin. She spent time working as a 
noontime aide at Sierra Mesa School.

Rosemary had worked at the local hardware store, Arnold’s, thru family ownership and other owners. 
She started working at Arnold’s Hardware in 1969 working at the front counter and giftware section. 
Many people in town remember her as the “redhead” in the giftware section, if they did not know her 
by name. She continued to work there until 2014 amassing over 45 years at the store.

While her husband Jim was elected to the Sierra Madre City Council for 16 years between 1958 
to 1978, and Mayor 1965, 1973, and 1977, Rosemary was always out with him at Sierra Madre 
functions. She met Princess Margaret when she visited the British Home. She participated in the 
Sierra Madre Extravaganza held at Sierra Madre School, the Sierra Madre carnival, held on-site the 
current Sierra Madre City Hall and parking lot. She worked on the Sierra Madre Rose Float in the 
circus tent, before Rose Float Building was built at Sierra Vista Park. Rosemary worked at the Sierra 
Madre Library Art Fair as a cashier and spent hours prepping donated books for the Sierra Madre 
Library books sales over the years.

During her life she has lived over 84 years in the City of Sierra Madre and calls it home. 

She will be celebrating her 90th birthday on March 2, 2020 at the Sierra Madre Kensington, 245 West 
Sierra Madre Boulevard, from 5 PM to 8 PM and would love to see you there. The celebration will 
include food and drinks, so come hungry and thirsty...


TABLE FOR TWO by Peter Dills

thechefknows@yahoo.com

CELESTINO’S 
REVISITED PLUS SPOT 
LIGHT ON SIERRA 
MADRE

Mayor Pro Tem Rachelle Pastor is my guest this Sunday Morning on Go Country 105, each week I visit 
through the radio a different California city. This week is Sierra Madre !!! 

Just this past week I visited an old friend, Celestino’s, on South Lake. It’s right there for the entire world to 
see, but for some reason I continue to pass by on a daily basis. Thankfully my assignment for the week was 
to find the best of the best of the Italian family restaurants in the Pasadena area. I found it in Celestino’s. Truly 
a gem in Pasadena. Where do I start, food or service?

Let’s start with the service. I was just a bit early for my lunch companion, and I thought I was in a day spa. I 
wasn’t sure who the servers or the busboys were, but the attention was superb. Water? Ice tea? Glass of wine? 
I wasn’t like I was the only one in the restaurant. 
The restaurant has a covered front patio, a main 
dining room, and two areas that can be used for 
private parties and overflow, plus a covered patio 
area in the back. For lunch, this place was busy 
-- I think my trend of fancy lunches instead of 
dinner is catching on. Right off the bat I will 
tell you that Celestino’s looks (and you know 
I was looking around) to be a business type of 
lunch spot, not to say I didn’t notice two local 
real estate agents having martinis, I imagine 
either celebrating or drowning their sorrows. The 
restaurant itself is pure Italian. There is a service 
bar big enough to have a drink at while you are waiting for your table, and throughout the restaurant the walls 
are covered in paintings all representing the Italian Coast, and of course, white linen tables cloth and flowers.

Chef and partner Calogero Drago has set up the menu for that Italian countryside feeling. Keep in mind this 
was lunch, but Chef Drago did sneak in a few dinner specials. After we started with some very warm and 
crusty sourdough bread with olive oil, we had Insalata Frutti Di Mare -- for you English-only readers that 
is a mixed seafood salad with plenty of mussels, clams, calamari rings and fish. Next was Calamari Fritti 
(which, if you have been following my column, you know I have to order every time). Celestino’s serves 
them with both the rings and the tentacles - yummy! Now, on to our great entrees: whenever I see gnocchi 
on the menu I order it, and if the first twenty minutes of our visit were any indication on how the meal was 
going to be, I knew the gnocchi was going to be great. Layered with a lobster sauce and peppers this was the 
beginning of a beautiful relationship… and the start of a lot more. I had asked the Chef for half portions, and 
I was beginning to think he didn’t believe me, as next up was the Pappardelle con Mezzenzane e Scamorza 
Affumicate. Translation: Fettuccini with eggplant and smoked mozzarella. For those of you who are calling 
Celestino’s right now for a reservation, I don’t blame you, but there is more. Our server, Mario, brought us 
out Mushroom Soufflé with Fontana cheese and black truffles from the dinner menu, and then the Rack of 
Lamb on fresh mint. Then, my head spun around as my server forced us to try the Cannoli for dessert -- that 
was terrific. Don’t let the menu translation scare you, Celestino’s with the service and the food is arguably 
the best that I have had in some time. 

Lunch and dinner prices reasonable; if you have a little extra dough to spend, there are over 200 wines by the 
bottle, many of them familiar names. For business or catching up with a friend I recommend lunch, for a night 
on the town or a romantic dinner I recommend dinner.

Tune in This Sunday for my Radio Show on Go Country 105 FM, at 8 AM


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