Mary Thoits, coordinator of the senior citizen...

Mary Thoits, coordinator of the senior citizen program at Long Beach City College, has received a commendation from the college’s governing board for her work. “I had a high school teacher who told me to push back horizons. That’s what I do, and that’s what I tell the people in my classes,” Thoits said. “Your mind doesn’t age. A person should say, ‘How old would I be if my mind didn’t know how old I was?’ ” Thoits has headed the college’s senior center for nearly a decade. In addition to “mainstreaming” seniors into regularly scheduled classes, she has created no-credit classes of special interest to older people, dealing with health, legal issues, estate planning and crafts.

Business consultant Manuel R. Caldera has been named honorary chairman of the 12th Whittier College Scholarship Banquet to be sponsored by Alianza de Los Amigos, a Hispanic alumni association. Caldera is a member of the Whittier College Board of Trustees. The banquet, which will honor outstanding Whittier College Hispanic alumni, is April 11 at the Pasadena Hilton. Anthony M. Ortega, assistant principal of Alhambra High School, is the chairman of Alianza.

Two Long Beach City College students have received national awards from Artists magazine. They are Linda Gunn, a watercolorist who also is vice president of the Lakewood Artists Guild, and Craig Cantley, a free-lance graphic artist who does pen-and-ink drawings and printmaking.

Stephen F. Overturf has been appointed to the newly created Douglas W. Ferguson Chair in International Economics at Whittier College. Overturf, who recently published “The Economic Principles of European Integration,” has been a member of the economics department since 1971. Douglas Ferguson is a longtime Whittier College trustee and chairman of the Quaker City Federal Savings & Loan Assn.

Kenneth L. Moffett, superintendent of the ABC Unified School District headquartered in Cerritos, was among 49 educational leaders from across the nation who participated recently in “The Future of America’s Schools” conference held in Chicago.

Dr. Ross Miller, chief of staff-elect at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, also has been named president-elect of the Southern California chapter of the American College of Surgeons. The chapter encompasses Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Riverside and Kern counties. He currently serves as a governor of the college. Dr. Miller, whose medical practice is in Compton, joined the St. Francis hospital staff in 1960. He also served eight years on the Compton City Council and as a Compton Board of Education member. He now lives in Long Beach.

Band and orchestra members at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach have won state honors for their artistic skills. Flutist Joan Calhoun and tuba player Richard Kelley were chosen to perform with the 1987 California State Honor Band last month in Sacramento. Selected for the Southern California Honor Orchestra were violinists Anna Cearley, Nancy Wu, Scott Wilkosz, Melissa Feinberg, John Kim and Sarah Shen, and violists Nicki Norbryhn and Jessica Loveridge.

Artist Paul Bouchard will have a one-man exhibition of his work April 2 through 21 at Rogue College in Grants Pass, Ore. His paintings feature cast paper and watercolor interpretations of flags, and are part of the collections of the City of Beverly Hills, El Camino College, Angels Gate Cultural Center in San Pedro and the art museum at California State University, Long Beach.

Law enforcement officers from California, Missouri, New Jersey and Utah graduated recently from USC’s six-week training program in juvenile justice. Class members included Timothy Oberlies of the Downey Police Department, Robert Elders of the Long Beach Police Department and Robert Todd of the South Gate Police Department. The university’s Delinquency Control Institute program, directed by Donald Fuller, includes lectures and field trips covering police administration, child abuse, crisis intervention and other areas. Since its founding in 1946, more than 3,000 men and women have graduated from the institute, which is part of the USC School of Public Administration.

EXTRA, the support group of the Exceptional Children’s Foundation Recreation Program, installed these officers at a banquet at the Grand Star restaurant in Los Angeles: Terri Fukamaki-Walker of Los Angeles, president; Ralph Espalin of Whittier, vice president; Susan Yokoyama of Los Angeles, recording secretary; Janyce Hirakami Melnyk of Canoga Park, corresponding secretary; and Wayne Ageno of Torrance, treasurer. Directors are Nellie Espalin of Whittier, Virginia Leibert of La Mirada, Ted Tritsch of Santa Monica and Keith Shimabukuro of Los Angeles. EXTRA stands for Expanding Therapeutic Recreational Activities.

The Professional Women’s Network of Long Beach has installed these officers and board members for 1987: Eva Hett, chairman; Ellen Mathis, treasurer; Kathy Kantz, recorder; Jo Fischer, reservations; Vernice Christian, network services; Pauline Havens, membership; Janet Smith, announcements; and Leslie Patterson, publicity. The network is a professional support group for working women of all job levels and occupations, affiliated with the American Assn. of University Women.

Three local men were among seven persons who were presented the Bronze Pelican Award during the annual dinner of the Catholic Committee on Scouting of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Those from the Rio Hondo District of the Los Angeles Area Boy Scout Council to receive the ribbon-suspended medal were Arron Adamsen, Frank Gianini and Dean Whinery.