The September 11 awards dinner was held at the historic La Casa Del Mexicano; Dr. Cynthia Herrera was the keynote speaker for the evening that featured a Silent Auction, dinner and dessert bar.
The sweetest part of the evening was the series of awards presented to those whose lives and efforts have made a positive impact on the community.
Latino Town Hall President Lorenzo Moraza welcomed the sold out crowd and noted the theme, “21st Century Job Opportunities — Got Science?” is “indicative of the high value this organization places on equity and education…”
There were many city and school elected officials in the audience that warmly applauded each recipient.
The Santa Paula Times was honored with the Jess Victoria Business Award for its dedication to an informed and engaged community. Don and Debbie Johnson founded the newspaper in 1993 after the 105-year-old Santa Paula Chronicle — where Don was publisher and Debbie office manager — was closed by its corporate owner. Since both the Johnson’s felt that is was important for Santa Paula to continue to have a local paper, they started their own, delivered twice weekly and devoted to covering everything from children’s events to major happenings.
“Children always love to see their photo in the paper,” notes Debbie, and the Johnson’s are dedicated to providing a platform for sharing those smiles as well as all of the local news.
The newspaper weathered the economic storm of the 1990s and 2008 and although they had a difficult time keeping the paper going they stuck with it and credit their success to the supportive business community.
In turn, the newspaper keeps its rates as low as possible to help businesses highlight their enterprises. The paper has always been generous in promoting nonprofit organizations and covering numerous events.
Debbie Johnson accepted the Jess Victoria Business Award from Richard Castaniero who noted, “Can you imagine Santa Paula without the Santa Paula Times? We’re very proud of them…”
“Don is here in spirit,” said Debbie of her husband who is recovering from an illness. “We want to thank you for the award…we are very proud.”
Renaissance High School Principal Dr. Robin Gillette presented the Sports Award to Danny Guzman, a long time basketball coach and the Santa Paula High School Athletic Director for eight years and youth mentor.
As a coach, Guzman led the varsity basketball team to a championship in 2013. As an athletic director, he reinstated the track and cross country programs, expanded the boys soccer program, greatly enhanced support and resources for the coaching staffs, developed a state of the art weight room on campus, and greatly improved the overall quality of the girls’ sports programs at SPHS by adding additional offerings and through his careful selection of coaches and mentors that have raised the competitively bar for female athletes. Under his leadership, student body participation in the high school’s athletics programs has increased by more than 25 percent and now involves more than 600 students each year competing on 31 teams.
Guzman is credited with building a phenomenal program that brings pride to students and a total of 26 league championships, 11 more than the previous 10 years combined. The number of athletes going on to play at the collegiate level has also greatly increased. These accomplishments earned Guzman the SPHS 2011 Teacher of the Year Award.
Guzman said he accepted the award on behalf of all coaches, “staff, community and the student athletes…”
Moraza and Kristin Majda respectively presented the Youth Award to Alondra Valle and Alana Rose Taylor, both entering their senior year at Santa Paula High School.
Last year Alondra served as president of the Santa Paula Future Farmers of America Chapter, has served as treasurer and currently is Vice-President of the Ventura Section Future Farmers of America. She was recently elected Regional Vice President of the South Coast Region, representing programs from Los Angeles to San Jose. In addition, Alondra is an asset to our community through her volunteerism as well, which includes more than 180 hours of service to the Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center (SPARC) and more than 100 hours of service for America in Bloom. Alondra received the Rotary Junior Achievement Award this year in recognition of her many hours of service. Her teachers describe Alondra as “well-rounded, caring and ambitious,” and she serves as an exceptional role model and mentor for her peers, not just in her school but also in her community.
One of her greatest ambitions is to “stay involved with the community by inspiring other youth to try new things that are out of their comfort zone and to be more confident in themselves.”
Alondra offered her thanks to Latino Town Hall for the award.
Alana is an Honors Student (4.4 GPA) that has completed community college courses. The Salutatorian of her Isbell Middle School 8th grade class she has science and MESA science competitions at the county and state levels. Founder-president of the SPHS American Red Cross Club she is an active participant in the school’s Geobowl and Knowledgebowl clubs. She has volunteered many hours at the Santa Paula Art Museum, California Oil Museum, Ojai Art Museum and the Lions Club; and volunteers at SPUSD elementary school Family Science Nights. She also works at her mother’s antique shop, Remnants on Main.
Alana aspires to become a physician specializing in oncology or cardiology, a goal that inspired her to participate in the 2105 LTH career symposium focused on the medical field. She was accepted into Ventura County Medical Center summer internship program and volunteered in the VCMC Cardio Clinic. Her interest in medicine is a byproduct of her own life experiences: at five she underwent open-heart surgery, in recent years lost her best friend to cancer and has an uncle currently suffering from a terminal illness.
Through it all she has continued to conduct herself with grace, poise and kindness, and to maintain her exceptional grades.
Alana thanked her family for their continuing support.
SPUSD Superintendent Alfonso Gamino presented the Education Award to
Isbell Middle School Principal George F. Alessi since 2012.
Previously he served 11 years as an assistant principal following 24 years with the L.A. Unified School District as a teacher and dropout prevention coordinator. Inspired to become an educator by his Uncle Danny, a child welfare and attendance counselor in East L.A. George tagged along with his uncle one day while he was doing home visits to truant students, and his uncle told him, “These are good kids who have to face problems every day, problems you are lucky not to have to deal with — many want to come to school, but they can’t because they don’t have clothes to wear, or they have to stay home to baby-sit brothers or sisters so that their mom or dad can work.”
Forty years later Alessi has been recognized with numerous awards for providing support services to at-risk children and families including the 2000 Shinning Star Award for his model Dropout Prevention Program. Since he became principal at Isbell Middle School three years ago, academic achievement and attendance are up and suspensions are significantly down. Visitors to the campus are greeted with friendly students and staff, clean grounds, and abundant evidence of student academic effort and enrichment activities.
Alessi is highly regarded by all parents, students, and staff.
“Our goal is everybody counts — or no one counts,” said Alessi in the video documenting his accomplishments.
“One of the jewels in our community,” was how Moraza described the Santa Paula Art Museum, which received the Cultural Arts Award presented to SPAM Executive Director Jennifer Heighton.
The Santa Paula Art Museum was incorporated for the purpose of preserving and sharing Santa Paula’s artistic heritage, as well as educating and engaging the community through exhibits and outreach. The focal point of the museum’s mission is over 350 works of art known as the “Santa Paula Collection,” one of California’s finest community-owned art collections. Many of the pieces are winning entries from the annual Santa Paula Art Show — founded in 1937 — amassed over the decades by the City of Santa Paula, Blanchard Community Library, school districts and the former hospital. Since its grand opening in 2010 the museum has acquired over 150 new works of art for its permanent collection and produced over 30-curated exhibits of work by local artists that reflect Santa Paula’s history, from its agricultural roots to its Latino heritage. Most notable among its shows is the award-winning annual “De Colores Art Show” featuring contemporary pieces by Latino artists that reflect the Latino experience, culture, history and traditions through various artistic mediums.
The museum also coordinates gallery talks, artist demonstrations, collectors gatherings and concerts; its youth education programs have more than doubled in the past year; SPAM partners with acclaimed artist-musician Javier Montes to provide free music lessons for kids. These efforts led the California Legislature Assembly to award SPAM with a Certificate of Recognition for its dedication and commitment to cultural arts.
Heighton noted SPAM “Is a relative newcomer to Santa Paula…it’s truly an honor,” to be recognized by LTH.
Maria Bombara was honored with a Community Service Award for her decades of volunteerism and devotion to Santa Paula.
She joined the community over 30 years ago when she became operations manager at Bank of America and her positions since allowed her to become uniquely acquainted with the Santa Paula community, its needs, and the community service organizations trying to meet those needs.
She was inspired to serve and has since selflessly volunteered countless hours of her time to various causes; she is the present secretary and Past President of Santa Paula Rotary, Vice President of the Downtown Merchants Association and board director for the Santa Paula Police & Fire Foundation and Moonlight Committee. A member of the Ventura Chapter of the California Women for Agriculture and the Chamber of Commerce, over the years her volunteerism has benefited the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Clara Valley, Santa Clara Valley Hospice and Soroptimists International that works to improve the lives of women and girls. Youth and education have always been important to Bombara: she dedicated much time to local schools, is passionate about agriculture education and awareness and all its facets. Recognized as the Rotarian of the Year she was also recognized as the Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year.
Because of her positive attitude, Dr. Gabino Aguirre said Bombara is often described as a Goodwill Ambassador for Santa Paula.
Said Bombara, “…what makes Santa Paula work is ‘we’ and it’s so amazing to work with all of you!”
Luke Sanchez presented the second Community Service Award to Jan Marholin, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Clara Valley, recognized for its rich history of community service and dedication to youth development. Since 1949 the club has played an important role in our community by providing daily access for school children to safe, supervised, low and no-cost activities after school and during the summer.
Club staff provides excellent enrichment opportunities for river valley youth despite an extremely constrained budget including daily homework help, an onsite library, sports and games, a monthly Birthday Book club, art and career-awareness programs, and an after school STEM program to help inspire kids’ interest in science, technology, engineering and math. Club Kids enjoy hands-on science activities (one in partnership with CSU Channel Islands) and can compete in the club’s Lego League Robotics Program.
The club has been serving the community thanks to the generous donations and the hard work and dedication of its staff. Under Marholin’s leadership the club continues to grow and expand its offerings while it continues to play a vital role in providing a positive influence for so many local kids.
Marholin said the award is “very special to us…and the club is probably the funnest, neatest things I’ve ever done in my life!”
Cathy and Tim Hicks were honored with the Raymond Garcia Humanitarian Award presented by Laura Flores Espinosa.
Known for their prolific volunteerism, the couple has donated many years of service to the Rotary Faulkner Farm Pumpkin Patch, B&GCSCV, the Knights of Columbus, Labor Day, Christmas and Halloween parades, Santa Paula Family Science Nights, the St. Patrick’s dinner dance, the AIB-Hospice Plant Sale, the Kiwanis Citrus Festival, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Santa Paula Latino Town Hall, and the Santa Paula Fireworks committee.
Tim is secretary of the Santa Paula Optimist Club, an organization dedicated to community service and Cathy is president and Lt. Governor for the local region. Their work with this organization includes outreach to local youth to impassion future generations to involve themselves in volunteerism and community service. Tim is also the Grand Knight for the Knights of Columbus in Santa Paula; and serves on the Blanchard Library, Santa Paula Recreation, Santa Paula Mobil Home Rent Review boards, and the SPUSD Personnel Commission. Cathy is President of the Young Ladies Institute for the Catholic Church of Santa Paula and president-treasurer of the Santa Paula Loyal Friends Club, where she coordinates programs for elderly community members. She also serves on the high school’s student attendance review board (SARB) and volunteers a great deal of her time at Renaissance High School.
The Hicks have made a profound and lasting impact on the community of Santa Paula in countless ways with contributions primarily behind the scenes that often go unrecognized. Yet there is no other couple in Santa Paula who have jointly contributed as many hours of service and dedicated their time to leadership in as many civic organizations as these two have done over their 36 years of Santa Paula residence.
Tim thanked LTH and noted the Optimist Club gives the couple the “opportunity to serve youth” as well as provide parades that fuse and entertain the community.
All award recipients also received proclamations and recognitions from Ventura County Supervisor Kathy Long, Santa Paula Mayor John Procter and Carla Castilla, State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson’s district manager.
