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City Honors Employees, Volunteers at Sierra Madre Honors Dinner Thursday, Sept. 15, 2008 Photos
The annual Sierra Madre Honors awards dinner to recognize top City employees and local volunteers was held at the Villa del Sol d’Oro on the campus at Alverno High School on Thursday, Sept. 15th. The evening was emceed by Dennis Packer, the stadium voice of the USC Trojans football team. Packer recently retired from LAPD after 35 years. Packer and his wife, Judy, recently purchased property in town and are building a new home in the lower canyon.
It was a rare evening, as all five Council Members were in attendance.
The evening opened with a welcome and the Pledge of Allegiance by Mayor Kurt Zimmerman, followed by the invocation by Police Chaplain Wayne Walters. This was especially appropriate because Walters is also a member of the Rotary Club of Sierra Madre, which was the recipient of the first award given out, the Wistaria Award, which “recognizes a City/Community partnership and is presented to a local business or organization whose major contributions to the City and Community have demonstrated a true partnership which assists in and provides services, programs and enhances the general welfare of the community as a whole.”
The Rotary Club of Sierra Madre was founded in 1997 by Rob Stockly, Kris Poulsen, and Steve Garrett. Poulsen accepted the award on behalf of Rotary at the request of Rotary President Carmen Thibault, who was unable to attend. The contributions for which Rotary was recognized include its recent donation of more than $10,000 to the Fire Dept. to update radios, its “adoption” of the City’s newest park, Goldberg Park, and several thousand dollars in donations/matching grants for the Library’s recent landscape makeover. Rotary also annually presents grants to high school seniors, teachers at local schools, and conducts an annual music competition, the Dan Stover Musical Competition, which awards grants and scholarships for those studying music. A Leadership Camp for Teens is scheduled for November, and Rotary is currently seeking applicants. Contact information can be found at www.rotaryclubofsierramadre.com, or stop by their Tuesday morning meeting at Café 322 at 7am to get more information.
Winner of the Public Service Award, aka Employee of the Year Award, was Jun Redil, a 19-year employee with the Water Department. During that time, he has advance from Water Distribution M-Man to Lead Worker to his current position of Water Foreman. Mr. Redil also serves as the City’s on-call person, and has done so for fifteen years, which takes on greater magnitude when one considers that he lives in Pomona, and must travel all the way to town for any water or sewer emergency.
Paramedic Coordinator Greg Christmas received the Public Safety Award, given to a Sierra Madre employee or citizen who has taken lifesaving action to protect and maintain the safety of the Community. Christmas was hired to develop Sierra Madre’s new paramedic program at its inception in 2007, and has since also joined the Volunteer Fire Dept., where he was instrumental in the development of the first 18-week Volunteer Fire Academy, which has already benefited the City with the certification of sixteen new members of the Department as Shift Fire Fighters. He also created the City’s Fire Explorer Program, which provides training for 15 - 17 year olds.
Captain Larry Giannone received the Police Chief’s special award, with SM Police Chief Marilyn Diaz stating that “I have never worked with a professional colleague who has demonstrated such integrity and extraordinary commitment to the policing profession. His competence, commitment and compassion are unparalleled.” Giannone, a 26-year law enforcement veteran, has worked for SMPD since 2006, and is responsible for updating, repairing and programming all 30 police radios, computers in the police vehicles, and the car radio equipment. He specializes in arson investigation, and is credited with creating a positive, energetic work environment through his leadership. In that work environment, the City has seen a 20% drop in crime and a 59% increase in arrests from 2007 to 2008.
Dr. Paul Neiby received the George Maurer Lifetime Service Award as an acknowledgement of significant contributions to the Community over many years. Neiby is a past-president and current member of Sierra Madre Kiwanis, a member of the City’s Senior Community Commission, sits on the Board of Directors of the Sierra Madre Historical Preservation Society, contributed to the Senior Master plan, and is also a past Sierra Madre Public Library Trustee. In addition, he has been instrumental in the development of the soon-to-be published Sierra Madre History Book, and has been vital to the success of the City’s Oral History Project. Neiby is currently recovering from two strokes he has suffered this year, and was unable to attend. Fellow Kiwanian and Award namesake George Maurer accepted the award on his behalf.
Also recognized at the event were the City Commissioners, members of the Community Arts Commission, the Community Services Commission, the Library Board of Trustees, the Planning Commission, the Senior Community Commission and the Tree Advisory Commission. Plaques were presented to outgoing Commissioners Tom Janzen and Ilona Volkmann of the Community Services Commission and Marianne Siberell of the Library Board of Trustees.
A buffet dinner of chicken and ham was provided by Sierra Madre Catering Company.
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