ON THE TOWN:
St. Finbar Parish School has adopted a list of learning objectives that acrostically challenge students to: Solve problems; think creatively and independently; follow your faith; interact with others; nurture your beliefs; brighten the world with your gifts; achieve your potential; and respect self and others.
The Catholic Community of St. Finbar gathered Friday for the sixth annual Harvest Ball to present the 2008 Harvester of Faith Award to two individuals who have exemplified those tenets — Msgr. Marc Trudeau and Burbank Councilwoman Anja Reinke.
Trudeau was raised in Burbank and attended St. Finbar School and John Burroughs High School before matriculating at Cal State Northridge and USC. He earned his master’s in theology from St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo and then began his ministry at St. James the Less in La Crescenta.
Last year, Trudeau was conferred by Pope Benedict XVI as monsignor and currently serves as priest secretary to Cardinal Roger Mahony.
The German-born Reinke grew up in Pasadena and has a bachelor’s degree in music from Cal State Los Angeles and a law degree from Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University.
Having established her Burbank-based law firm in 1992, Reinke has served on numerous city and charitable organization boards and committees, and was elected to the Burbank City Council in 2007. She and her husband, Charlie, have two daughters, Erika and Elise.
Friday’s ball that honored the duo, staged in the Grand Salon of the Burbank headquarters of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church on Glenoaks Boulevard, was chaired by City Councilwoman Marsha Ramos, who was a 2003 Harvester of Faith honoree.
Ramos was assisted in presenting this year’s event that served as a fundraiser for St. Finbar School, by her committee that included Bishop Gerald Wilkerson; Vice Mayor Gary Bric; former Burbank mayors Michael Hastings and Jef Vander Borght; Nicholas Tidik; City Manager Mary Alvord; Community Development Director Sue Georgino; and Archbishop Hovan Derderian.
Others who assisted in making the evening a success were Mary Greer; Lucy Platner; Katie Roth; Kris Kaiser; Stephanie Jonke; Gloria Stenberg; Bob and Nancy Martin; Bill Barlak; Lupe Thompson; Maria Robone; Claudia Kosgeryan; Floricella Allen and Mary Romano.
Among those in attendance for Friday’s fundraiser were Mayor Dave Golonski; St. Finbar pastor Father Albert Bahhuth; St. Finbar Principal Michael Marasco; school board member Roberta Reynolds; Dave and Pat Augustine; Richard and Lila Ramirez; City Atty. Dennis Barlow and his wife, Annelle; Vic Georgino; Kathy Hastings; Vickie O’Neill; Tony Cusumano and last year’s Harvester of Faith honoree Mike Graceffo with his fiancée, Julie Barnhart.
Others who supported the honorees with their presence were Msgr. Trudeau’s parents Paul and Belva Trudeau and other family members including Mike and Phil Trudeau; Yvonne and Greg Noll; Valerie and Ted Edmunds; and Tom and Judy Johnson.
Also on hand were Janet McKenna; Sam Asheghian; Laurie Bleick; Lucy Burghdorf; Roger and Evelyn Cusumano; Steven Ferguson; Eric Hansen; Garen Yegparian; Yasmine Wolfe; Sue Vander Borght; Jess and Sandy Talamantes;and Mike, Barbara and Ted Napolitano.
DAVID LAURELL can be contacted at dlaurell@aol.com or (818) 563-1007.
