Lynwood Fire Chief Named

A 22-year veteran of the Lynwood Fire Department, Gerald L. Wallace, has been selected as the new fire chief. Wallace, 44, who had risen through the ranks to captain, Tuesday was unanimously appointed chief by the five-member City Council.

Wallace replaces Ronald W. Lathrope, who retired in June after 27 years on the 35-person Fire Department. Assistant Fire Chief Fred Ripley had been serving as acting chief.

The city advertised the job opening in national publications and developed a list of candidates from throughout the nation. The list then was narrowed to three finalists for the position, which carries a monthly salary range of $4,605 to $4,934.

Wallace was named the top candidate after several interviews conducted by a three-panel commission. None of the commission members was from the City of Lynwood.

Mayor Paul Richards said one of the main reasons Wallace was selected was his work with the city’s affirmative action fireman trainee program. In the past, the department has been accused of racial discrimination by a black fireman applicant. There were no black firefighters on the department at the time of the allegations last year. Since that time, a black fireman has been hired.

5 Teachers Up for Award

Five Southeast-area educators will be honored Friday at a reception for Bravo Award nominees at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. They are Thomas Arnot, from Newcomb Elementary School in Long Beach; Claire Miller, Franklin Junior High in Long Beach; Margie Armstrong, Pyle Elementary in Bellflower; Joan Jellum, Artesia High in Lakewood, and Joanne Cherry-Booth, who lives in Lakewood and teaches in San Pedro.

All together, 134 teachers from 56 school districts were nominated by their principals for the awards, which recognize outstanding achievement in arts education. The awards are sponsored by the Jeffery Melamed Memorial Fund and presented by the Music Center Education Division. Ten finalists will be named at the reception and two winners will be chosen in February, one an arts specialist and the other a general education teacher who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and creativity by incorporating arts into a traditional curriculum.

Marshals of Downey Parade

Longtime Downey residents Faith and Scott Temple will be honorary marshals of the Downey Christmas Parade. Temple, 75, and his wife, 73, are natives of Ventura but moved to Downey 43 years ago when Temple was transferred by his employer, Union Oil Co. He was an industrial relations supervisor. The Temples worked on the campaign to incorporate Downey in 1956, and he was elected to the first City Council. Temple served on the council 13 1/2 years, including four terms as mayor.

The parade, with a colonial Christmas theme, will begin at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Lexington Road and Downey Avenue, travel south on Downey Avenue to 3rd Street, skirt the Civic Center and end at Downey High School. Celebrity grand marshals will be Roberta Linn, an actress and singer, and Andy Russell, a vocal recording artist.

College Enrollment Director

Boice Bowman has been appointed director of enrollment services for Compton Community College. He will be responsible for admissions, records and registration at the two-year college. Bowman is a native of Michigan, holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Western Michigan University, and is in a doctoral program in community college administration at Pepperdine University.

Student Speakers Excel

La Mirada High School speech students who won trophies at the recent Southern California Debate League fall novice tournament are Greg Johnson, who won awards in novice extemporaneous and novice impromptu; Sidney Mohede, novice original prose and poetry; Marty Norman, junior varsity expository; and Lyn O’Hara, junior varsity original oratory. They are coached by Jeanne Lerner.