Muriel Morse of Altadena has been presented...

Muriel Morse of Altadena has been presented the 1993 Special Volunteer Award by United Way of Greater Los Angeles Metropolitan Region for her years of leadership, service and contributions to the community.

Morse has been a United Way volunteer since 1954. In 1981, she became chairperson of the Visiting Nurse Assn. of Los Angeles, Inc. the largest home health care provider in the Western United States. On behalf of the association, Morse has provided leadership in areas such as personnel policy, employee relations, administration, fund raising and board development.

Morse is a professor emeritus of the University of California.

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Harold Martinez of Hacienda Heights has been awarded the Distinguished Citizen Award by the San Gabriel Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Martinez is a businessman who operates Able Industrial Products in South El Monte.

He served four times as president of the Latin Business Assn.

Martinez has been involved in Scouting for many years. He also organized a Scout troop of boys from a low-income public housing community and is the founder of the Latin Business Foundation, which has awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships to Latino youngsters.

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The Los Angeles law firm of Hill, Farrer, & Burrill received the Pro Bono Legal Services Award for Law Firm of the Year from the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund Inc., Western Regional Office.

The firm was honored for its “tireless work” assisting the defense fund with “Oliver v. City of Indio,” a class-action lawsuit that represented African-American and Latino residents of Nobles Ranch, a poor community in Indio that was threatened with destruction.

On behalf of the law firm, Gregory Evans of Pasadena, a key member of the team in the “Oliver v. City of Indio” case, accepted the award.

Other attorneys who worked on the case were Jennifer Pancake of South Pasadena, Michelle Meghrouni of La Crescenta, Dean Dennis of Pacific Palisades and Kevin Brogan of San Marino.

A law firm with more than 60 attorneys, Hill, Farrer, & Burrill was founded in 1923.

Specialized departments include litigation, tax, corporate and business development, labor and employment law, and real estate.