Veteran AIDS Worker to Coordinate Grant

Attorney Mark Senak, former head of New York’s Gay Men’s Health Crisis legal services division, has been named to administer a $525,000 state AIDS grant at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach. Senak, 32, says the focus of the 18-month grant is to provide comprehensive case management for patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome or AIDS-related complex and to conduct a study on whether it is more cost-effective to care for AIDS patients outside a hospital setting. Senak said more than $160,000 will be given directly to patients to help pay for food, rent and home care. The grant will also be used to develop community resources for people with AIDS and their care-givers. Senak hopes to enroll 100 patients in the program.

Bellflower Instructional Aide Wins Honor

Eleanor Morgan, a South Gate resident and 16-year employee of the Los Angeles County Office of Education, has been named instructional aide of the year by the California School Employees Assn. Morgan works with educable mentally handicapped students in the Bellflower High School special education program run by the county.

New Officers for Meals-on-Wheels La Mirada

Ed Norman, dean of Biola University’s College of Liberal Arts, has been elected president of Meals-on-Wheels La Mirada. He succeeds Jerry Oxman, who will continue to serve on the board. The service organization provides noontime meals five days a week at a nominal cost for disabled, elderly or ill residents. Other officers elected include Dorothy Craft, vice president; Robin Miller, secretary, and Vermille Sickler, treasurer. Board members assigned duties for 1988-’89 are: Colleen Schmitt, parliamentarian; Jack Schmitt, publicity chairman; Lee Brown, finance committee chairman; John Hendren, tax preparation and financial adviser; Elaine Jellerson, catalogue sales and luncheon fund-raiser, and Mary Jane Maloof, newsletter editor.

Biology Professor Awarded Science Grant

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $95,000 grant to Dr. Sterling Keeley, associate professor of biology at Whittier College. The grant is one of 25 awarded nationally as part of the Visiting Professorships for Women program. Keeley, who received her Ph.D. in plant systematics from the University of Georgia, will conduct DNA research on sunflowers at the University of Connecticut. She has been on the Whittier faculty since 1979.

Volunteer Wins Presidential Recognition

Thelma Puisy of Bellflower has been selected as one of 45 recipients nationwide of the 1987 Presidential Recognition Award for Community Service. Puisy has administered a holiday food basket program in Bellflower for more than 25 years. She also has served on the Bellflower Traffic and Safety Commission for 21 years and has volunteered at the county Sheriff’s Department for 20 years. In addition, she has spent 10 years on the board of the Little House Women’s Alcoholic Recovery Home.

Director Named to Fire Sprinkler Board

Stephen D. Hart, former fire marshal for the city of Monterey, has been hired as director of the Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board of Southern California, which is based in Cerritos. As fire marshal of Monterey, Hart developed one of the first local ordinances requiring automatic fire sprinklers in buildings larger than 5,000 square feet or taller than three stories. In his new position, Hart will work with contractors and local fire and building officials to promote fire safety measures.

Lowell District Names Assistant Principal

The Lowell Joint School District has appointed Elizabeth Colucci as assistant principal for the Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate School in Whittier. She replaces Fred Wright, who was promoted to principal after the retirement of J. L. Dunn. Colucci has been a teacher and administrator in the Lakeside School District in El Cajon since 1979. Before that, she taught high school in the San Diego area.

English Professor Wins Fulbright Grant

Biola University English Prof. Daniel Thomas Cornell has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar Grant. He will spend the 1988-89 academic year lecturing in Portugal. Cornell specializes in contemporary American culture and literary theory. He has been with Biola University in La Mirada since 1984.

Shelter Appoints Officers, Honors Volunteers

Marking the 10th anniversary of its founding, the Women’s and Children’s Crisis Shelter of Whittier installed new officers and honored volunteers. The officers are Dr. Eugene Garcia of Norwalk, president; Barbara Strickland of Whittier, vice president; Maria Salazar of Rowland Heights, treasurer, Gail Norman-Bilby of Bellflower, recording secretary, and Stella Religa of Whittier, corresponding secretary. Volunteers recognized include Marlene Kagan, Marilyn Winans, Phyllis Sheller, Betty Licht, Sandy Baker, Lorraine Borrud, Tana Clarke, Marge Grover and Jetta Le Fever. Dolores Patterson was given posthumous recognition. The organization has sheltered 3,200 people and received 15,000 crisis calls since it opened.

Norwalk Mayor to Lead Contract Cities Assn.

Mayor Marcial (Rod) Rodriguez of Norwalk has been installed as president of the California Contract Cities Assn. The association, composed of 63 cities statewide, is designed to serve cities that contract for the performance of all municipal services, such as public works, roads maintenance, law enforcement, library services and fire protection.