PLACENTIA/YORBA LINDA : Writer, Lawyer Make It to Hall of Fame

Screenwriter Elisa Bell called one of her first scripts ever sold “Writer’s Block,” but the 1983 Esperanza High School graduate has managed to avoid that particular pitfall since she quit her day job and began writing full time.

In the past four years, Bell has sold 15 original screenplays and worked on several rewrites and book adaptations. She just finished working on two projects with producer Steven Spielberg and in a few months, Michael J. Fox will make his debut as movie director in Bell’s “Thirty Wishes.”

For her accomplishments, Bell is being inducted today into the Placentia Yorba Linda Unified School District Hall of Fame. Frederick Aguirre, a local attorney who has been active in community groups, will also be inducted.

After graduating with honors from USC in 1987, Bell got a job as “the Xerox girl” at Tri-Star Pictures.

“Basically I was hired to make copies of scripts,” Bell said. “After a while I started reading scripts, giving my opinion and suggestions.”

Within three years, she was head of the story department.

Throughout that time, Bell continued writing at night and in 1990, after selling her first script, she quit her job at Tri-Star to write full time.

“Now it feels like I don’t have a job,” Bell said.

Aguirre, whose family settled in what is now Placentia in the early 1900s, graduated in 1964 from Valencia High School, where he was student body president.

An attorney with a private practice in Fullerton, Aguirre has been active in a variety of community groups. He has formed several business and real estate ventures, including building Bradford Square Retirement Villa.

Aguirre was also involved in a Latino broadcast group that acquired and later sold the federal license for a television station that eventually became QVC.

Aguirre has worked on many projects to benefit Latino residents, including the Community Minority Affairs Advisory Council at Cal State Fullerton, a Fullerton Youth Gang Advisory Committee and the Stay in School Program for Santa Ana Unified School District.

In 1984, Aguirre helped re-establish the local chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens.

“My family’s heritage has always been a source of pride,” Aguirre said. The Hall of Fame ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. in the District Education Center, 4999 Casa Loma Ave., Yorba Linda.