Young Pianist Let His Fingers Do the Talking to the Competition Judges

Twenty-five year-old Daniel Shapiro of Corona del Mar won seven of the 14 performance awards given by a prestigious group of internationally known judges at the 10th Anniversary Joanna Hodges Piano Competition held in the Bob Hope Cultural Center in Palm Desert.

For winning, Shapiro will make appearances this year and next in Amsterdam, Brazil, London, Los Angeles, Riverside, Fresno and Denver. Competition sponsors valued the performance opportunities at $24,000.

More than 1,000 pianists entered the competition sponsored by Hodges, an internationally known pianist and teacher.

Ulla Ann-Marie Herman, 53, of La Palma, a longtime community and school volunteer, was the honoree of a surprise tribute celebration by the La Palma Woman’s Club during which letters of tribute from city, county and state officials were presented. She is the wife of La Palma Mayor Larry Herman.

The honoree has been characterized by her friends as the “invisible, selfless backbone of the community.”

Following in his brothers’ footsteps, Jim Barker, 16, son of Daisy and Robert Barker of La Palma, was presented his Eagle Scout ranking at a Court of Honor. His brothers--Steve, 26, Ron, 24, Rick, 22, Mike, 20, and David, 18--are all Eagle Scouts.

The Los Alamitos Rotary Club announced it has donated $1,000 to the Los Alamitos Casa Youth Shelter, which operates Project Safe Place, an outreach program designed to provide runaway youngsters with a safe place to stay until they can be reunited with their families.

Courtland Paul, founder and senior principal of the landscape architectural firm of the Peridian Group in Irvine, was selected as the first recipient of the Meridian Award by the Orange County/Long Beach chapter of the California Landscape Contracting Assn.

The award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to thef green industry and to the environment.

Since his graduation 38 years ago from Cal Poly with a degree in ornamental horticulture, Paul has worked with various Southern California commissions and civic groups in planning and designing parks and recreational facilities.

Landscape and Irrigation Magazine named Paul as its 1987 Man of the Year.

A party hosted by their two sons in the La Habra Elks Lodge honored Phyllis Fischle, 71, and Charles Fischle, 72, of La Habra, on their 50th wedding anniversary. The guest book was signed by 160 friends and relatives. The couple have lived in La Habra for 35 years, and he is a past exalted ruler of the local Elks Lodge.

The Therapeutic Recreation Program Award from the California Parks and Recreation Society was presented to the Huntington Beach Community Services Department for its “Ol’ Fishin’ Hole Derby” for disabled students. The award is presented annually for outstanding and innovative achievements in recreation programs.

San Juan Capistrano library volunteer Mollie Burke was named by the Board of Supervisors as Orange County Library Volunteer of the Year, winning praise for her work as Friends of the Library president and organizer of a docent program.

Since starting the program six years ago, Burke has provided tours for more than 8,000 visitors to the post-modern style library that has become a landmark in American architecture.

Burke also serves on the board of Libros y Artes, a nonprofit group that has presented notable decorative and arts exhibitions in the library complex.

Matt Blitch, a Tustin High School senior, was appointed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He was nominated by Rep. Robert Badham (R-Newport Beach).

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