Silver Beaver Awardees

Five Boy Scout adult volunteers serving in the Southeast area have received the Silver Beaver Award, the highest honor a local scouting organization can bestow. They were among 29 people honored for distinguished service to youth during the Los Angeles Area Boy Scout Council’s 71st annual awards dinner. The recipients are Boyd R. Benson and Ronald L. Cedillos of Downey, Theodore M. Dykzeul Sr. of Compton, Jerry Laiblin of La Mirada and Marie J. Dixon of Whittier.

Benson, a math professor at Rio Hondo College, has been associated with Troop 868 since 1974 and is now committee chairman for Explorer Post 868 of Downey. Cedillos, president of a Downey high-tech testing company, has been a member of the Los Angeles Area Council’s board of directors since 1981, is the current vice chairman, and has served on the Hispanic Outreach Advisory Committee. Dykzeul, a 30-year veteran of scouting and a retiree from Firestone Tire and Rubber Co., is scouting coordinator for St. Philip Neri Catholic Church, whose Troop 831 has produced more Eagle Scouts than any other troop in Compton.

Laiblin, vice president of Whittier College, has been an adult in scouting for 27 years, serving as scoutmaster, assistant scoutmaster, Sea Scout skipper and for 15 years as a scouting professional. Dixon, a former teacher, court translator, 4-H leader and grand regent of the Catholic Daughters of America, has used her skills in Spanish and Portuguese to organize more than 40 Cub Scout and Boy Scout groups in three different Boy Scout councils in California.

United Way Fund-Raiser

Lou Banas, district manager of community relations for GTE in Whittier, has been named north group campaign chairman for the Harbor / Southeast Region of United Way of Los Angeles. The north group is assigned to raise a record $2.2 million for health and human service agencies in the Pico Rivera, Whittier, Norwalk, Downey, Montebello and La Mirada areas. The regional goal is $8.2 million, also a record, for the geographic area stretching from Whittier on the north to Long Beach on the south and Torrance on the west. So far, the north group has raised $1.7 million. The 1988 campaign closes at the end of April.

Banas, 41, a resident of Brea, is on the boards of directors of the Pico Rivera and La Habra chambers of commerce, is the legislative chairman for the La Habra chamber and a member of the Orange County Private Industry Council. He served as a city councilman in Norwalk from 1982 to 1986.

Banas heads a United Way fund-raising team that includes Maggie O’Donnell, director of community relations for Northrop Corp.; Capt. Bob Pash of the Norwalk sheriff’s station, and Don Foss, president of Foss Plating in Santa Fe Springs.

Finance Director Named

Linda C. Manning has been appointed finance director of Bellflower after serving 10 months as assistant finance director. Her appointment was made by City Administrator Jack A. Simpson and ratified by the City Council. She succeeds Michael A. Sakamoto, who now is assistant city administrator in charge of economic development, risk management and Community Development Block Grant programs. Manning has a business-accounting degree from California State University, Long Beach, an English degree from UC Irvine, and a state Certified Public Accountant credential. She is a former chief financial officer of Josephine County, Oregon, and has held accounting and auditing jobs with Litton Industries, Raum, Jordan Accountancy, Herdon & Elam and the Irvine Co.

Adult Day Health Planner

Whittier resident Roy C. Morris has been reappointed to a three-year term on the Los Angeles County Adult Day Health Planning Council. The council is working on an adult day health plan that will meet county health and safety codes. The reappointment was made by Supervisor Pete Schabarum and confirmed by the Board of Supervisors. Morris is retired from the furniture manufacturing industry and is a former councilman and mayor of Whittier. He also serves on the state trade advisory and parole advisory boards.

102nd Birthday Celebration

Norwalk resident Zada O’Guin will celebrate her 102nd birthday on March 25 at the Norwalk Christian Retirement Home where she has lived since 1984. She was born in Arkansas and moved to Southern California in 1943 with her husband and five children. She has lived in Inglewood and Pomona until her husband, Adam, died in 1978. Mrs. O’Guin has 10 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. “She is ambulatory, alert and enjoys her meals in the dining room rather than eating in her room,” said Virginia Young, administrator of the retirement home.