Dodgers, American Honda Honor Community Members

The Dodgers Community Services Department’s Heroes in Service program honors individuals who have helped improve their communities through their work with nonprofit agencies.

Recent honorees who have been announced during pregame ceremonies include:

* Gloria Gary of Westmont-Athens for preparing home-cooked meals for the homeless each Sunday at South Park in South-Central.

* Richard Valenza of Los Angeles, who heads up Re-Style L.A., a scholarship program that provides an opportunity for higher education in fashion, fine arts, and the performing arts to disadvantaged inner-city students.

* Joe Amaya of East Los Angeles, who has coached baseball for almost 50 years. The baseball field at Belvedere Park was name after him this year.

* Venetia Flores Buhler of Echo Park, who annually takes a group of underprivileged Downtown youngsters on a weeklong camping trip to Klamath National Forest in Northern California.

Five area students are recipients of the 1993 American Honda/Mario J. Machado Scholarship Awards. The $1,000 cash awards and certificates were presented in a June 12 ceremony at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

The winners are:

* Vida de Arce of the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies.

* Danielle Evans of Venice High School.

* Pila Gray of Crenshaw High School-Gifted Magnet.

* Nancy Michael of Narbonne High School.

* Frank S. Young of Jefferson High School.

They had to address the question: If you edited a newspaper or produced a television or radio news or talk program, what innovations would you make?

Established in 1992 by the American Honda Motor Co., the scholarship fund is tied in with the senior high division of the Los Angeles Unified School District to motivate financially disadvantaged seniors who want to pursue careers in communications.