Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, July 24, 2021

Mountain View News Saturday, July 24, 2021 

SIERRA MADRE FIRE 
DEPARTMENT WATER 
TENDER 41 DEPLOYED 
TO THE BECKWOURTH 
COMPLEX FIRE 

On July 11th, Water Tender 41 
(WT41) was deployed to assist on 
the Beckwourth Complex Fire, 
located in the Plumas National 
Forest about 50 miles northwest 
of Lake Tahoe. Engineer Silcott 
and Firefighter Paramedic Torn-
cello manned WT41, which returned 
safely on July 20th. 

Please be sure to visit fire.lacoun-
ty.gov/RSG to download the 
Ready! Set! Go! Wildfire Action 
Plan, packed with important 
safety tips. You can also pick up 
a hard copy at the Sierra Madre 
Fire Department. 


MOUNT WILSON TRAIL RACE TRAINING RUNS 

The Mount Wilson Trail Race Training Runs have begun but it is never too late to join in. The crew is being 
led by one of our favorite running coaches, Simon Cooper from Invictus Running Academy, and he is 
pumped to get everyone ready for the race in October. 

You don’t need to register, just show up every Saturday morning at 6:30 am in Kersting Court, Sierra 
Madre. Everyone is invited no matter your ability, there will be people of all paces joining in. We hope you 
are as excited as we are since this coach really knows how to get participants ready! 


REMEMBRANCE 


CELESTE MCCREARY 

July 28, 1917 - June 26, 2021 
Former Sierra Madre Citizen Of The Year 

On Saturday, June 26th, 2021, Celeste M. McCreary, 
loving mother of two sons, passed away at the age of 
103 at her assisted living home at Villa Gardens in 
Pasadena, CA. 

Celeste was the second of five children, born in Redondo 
Beach, California on July 28, 1917 to Edward 
Leo Callahan and Severine Obergfel Callahan. Celeste 
was a lifelong resident of Southern California, living in 
Redondo Beach, Sierra Madre, Arcadia and Pasadena. 

While working on her degree at Pasadena Junior College 
she was selected as a princess in the Tournament 
of Roses parade in 1936 and kept this event close to 
her heart for her entire life. She loved to sing and had 
a beautiful operatic voice, often performing at weddings 
and in the Church choir. On many Saturdays her 
house was filled with the sound of opera from her favorite composers, Verde and Puccini. 


Shortly after the Rose Parade she married Harrison M. (Bud) Bains. During her marriage to Bud 
they had two sons, Harrison M. Bains Jr. and William H. Bains. After divorcing Bud in 1952, she 
married again in 1956 to Clarence (Norm) Morrison and together they had a very successful 
business in Sierra Madre with "Norm's Garage" on the corner of Baldwin and E. Montecito. 

They lived in Arcadia but were very active in Sierra Madre and volunteered yearly to help build 
the Tournament of Roses Float and gave many hours with the Historical Society and the Independent 
Garage Owners of California. 

After Norm's passing in 1985, Celeste moved back to Sierra Madre and remained active with 
the Rose Float Association, the Historical Society and volunteered many days per week at the 
Dazee Shop in Altadena, which was run by her chapter of the P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational 
Organization). 

In 1986 she married Dr. Ralph McCreary and they had a very happy but short time together as 
he passed away in 1987. 

After Ralph's passing Celeste remained active in her beloved community, so much so that in 1989 
she was named Citizen of the Year for Sierra Madre in recognition of the countless hours she had 
donated to the city. 

When Celeste was 80 she moved from Sierra Madre to Villa Gardens, a retirement community 
in Pasadena, where she lived an active life traveling with friends, enjoying many visits with her 
children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, knitting countless blankets for the Red Cross 
and volunteering at the Dazee Shop until she finally was unable to drive at age 94. 

Passing years forced her to move into an assisted living apartment at the age of 98, and she remained 
there until her death a month shy of her 104th birthday. 

Celeste is survived by her son, Harrison Bains and his wife Leslie of Nantucket, MA, and their 
children, Harrison Bains III and his wife Colleen O'Brien of Los Angeles, CA and Tawney Bains 
and her husband, Zachary Roberts of Santa Monica, CA. Also, Celeste's son William Bains and 
his wife Robin, of Port Angeles, WA, and their son Joshua Bains and his wife Ari-ella, of Atlanta, 
GA. Celeste is also survived by her six Great Grandchildren, her sister Patricia Meredith of Titus-
ville, FL.. and brother-in-law Len Kennett of Long Beach, CA. 

Celeste had a wonderful 100th birthday party in 2017 surrounded by a large number of her 
family and friends. As Celeste requested, there will be no memorial service, so we would like to 
remember that happy gathering as we celebrate a life well lived by a very special lady. 

Per her wishes, her ashes will be scattered near her son William's home on the North Olympic 
Peninsula of Washington state. From Legacy.com 

AUGUST BEST USED BOOK SALE 

The Friends of the Sierra Madre Library are pleased to announce that there will be a regular 
Best Used Book Sale in August. Masks and social distancing will be required on the parking lot 
behind the library during the two-day sale. It will be held Friday, August 6 (3:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.) 
and Saturday, August 7 (10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.). This is our BACK-TO-SCHOOL sale and will 
feature a 2018 World Book set and other reference materials as well as school supplies. We’ve 
been saving up TEACHER resources and materials as well. Come and shop our children’s books 
also; always priced from 50 cents - $1.00. 

And, we have a HUGE Art books collection for sale. Choose from beautiful books about artists, 
art history, photography, and art instruction. The parking lot will also have our $1.00 Bargain 
Books, small paperbacks 5/$1.00, CDs, DVDs and Audio Books. 

Although the basement will not be open for this sale, we’ll have a group of our newer, beautiful 
“Table Books” also on the parking lot available for purchase. Look for wonderful Cookbooks, 
Children’s, and Contemporary Culture titles from $2.00-$12.00. 

Don’t forget the $5.00 BAG SALE on Saturday on the parking lot! 

We look forward to seeing everyone August 6 and 7 at the Sierra Madre Library, 440 W. Sierra 
Madre Blvd. in 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