Monthlong Walk in Russia Was ‘Intense Experience’

Nine Orange County residents who were among 220 Americans and 240 Soviets who walked from Odessa to Kiev in the Ukraine this summer have returned home after participating in the monthlong Soviet-American Walk.

“It was a moving and intense experience I will always treasure,” said Arlene Dorius of Newport Beach, who participated with her husband, Kermit P. Dorius. “I’m convinced more than ever that the nuclear arms race is an absurdity, and the Russians we walked with feel the same way.”

Americans from 30 states made the trip to demonstrate that Americans and Soviets can live and work together. They met ordinary citizens, veterans, government officials, dissidents and schoolchildren. Earlier, a group of Russians came to the United States on a similar visit.

The Americans paid an average of $3,500 of their own money to participate.

Other county residents who participated were Seymour Hersh of Irvine, Ulla L. BubbleLaguna Beach and James M. Kortright of Orange.

A donation of $180,000 in goods and services from Digital Equipment Corp. of Costa Mesa has been presented to the Adam Walsh Resource Center of Southern California in Orange, an organization that assists children and families who are victims of crimes.

The center received $130,000 in computer equipment and a commitment of more than 400 Digital staff hours to train operators, program the system and ease the transition from the old to the new computer system, according to Susan Davidson, executive director of the center.

El Toro resident Nancy Dooley, 41, a member of the Orange County Fair board of directors since 1984, and recently reappointed to a second four-year term on the nine-member panel by Gov. George Deukmejian, has been elected its president.

Earlier, she served as chairman of the fair committee, which oversees the planning of the annual summer event and has served on committees for budget and finance, horse racing and liaison with the city.

In addition, she is serving on the Narcotics Addict Evaluation Authority, the paroling body for narcotics offenders in California, under a gubernatorial appointment.

In private life, she is a consultant and coordinator of special events for her El Toro firm, which specializes in fund-raising activities.

Registered nurse Kathryn Reeves of Fullerton, who is director of nursing for the emergency department at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, received the Emergency Nurses Assn. Professional Award at the group’s recent annual meeting in New Orleans.

The letter nominating her, sent by the Orange County Chapter of the association, said she should be considered for the award because “she personifies the best that emergency nursing has to offer.”

Thirteen-year-old brothers Daniel M. and Kenneth R. Nehrbass received the Eagle Award, the highest rank for a Boy Scout, in ceremonies at the United Methodist Church in Fountain Valley.

The Art Institute of Southern California in Laguna Beach has presented awards of appreciation to volunteers Barbara Bernay, Marjorie Anderson, Herta Anderson, Carole Reynolds, Linda Thornton, Suzanne Smith-Ellis and Cindy Bouvier.

Costa Mesa resident Maria Piscopo, 34, was presented a Decade Award by the Conference of Women sponsored by Coastline Community College. The award acknowledges her 12 years of volunteer service to the nonprofit educational organization Women in Management.

Fullerton Fire Chief Ron Coleman, who began his public service career with the U.S. Forest Service in 1960 after being discharged from the Marine Corps, was elected president of the International Assn. of Fire Chiefs at its 115th annual conference in Washington.

Coleman joined the Costa Mesa Fire Department in 1963. He was named fire chief of San Clemente 10 years later, and he became fire chief of Fullerton in 1985.