Workers Honored for Aiding Victims

Thirty-three Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department employees were honored Wednesday for coming to the aid of more than 100 children evacuated from the North Valley Jewish Community Center after the Aug. 10 shooting that injured five people.

The workers were recognized at an afternoon reception at the Sunland Recreation Center before the start of the Board of Recreation and Park Commission’s regular meeting.

Immediately after the shooting, campers and counselors from a day camp run by the Jewish community center in Granada Hills were sheltered at Devonshire House at the Northridge Recreation Center.

The city employees were recognized for bringing the children into the house and keeping them occupied while the Jewish Community Center staff notified parents of the shooting allegedly committed by avowed white supremacist Buford O. Furrow Jr.

“I really commend the recreation staff,” said Charles Chavoor, facilities manager at the Northridge Recreation Center. “A lot of them said, ‘We were just doing our jobs,’ but they did respond well and I am proud of them.”

Chavoor was honored along with Rosalynn Brown, Sandra Singer, Chris Parks, Ryan Dorn, Cynthia Dib, Roberto Buenrostro, Sue Elvogue, Andrew Kasdin, Debi Bolokofsky, Harry Golden, Amy Grinstain, Ralph Alaniz, Kelly Briggs and Alberto Campo.

Also honored were Melissa Ford, Christian Golden, David Luevanos, Josh Tucker, Clyde Silla, Rachel Comroe, Amy Van Pattenberg, Jennifer Bauman, Julie Aragon, Theresa Paul, Brian Amandus, Alejandra Aguilar, Julie Fishman, Sarah Bauman, Andrew Li, Jaehoon Kim, Levi Paul, Scott Tretsky and John Duggan, manager of a Granada Hills pizzeria who provided food.