Community & Clubs: Lauded for their service

Twelve residents who have given of their time, talent and treasure in service to the communities of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach were honored last Friday through their induction into the 2010 Daily Pilot Community & Clubs Hall of Fame. Honored were:

Tim Martin, who was nominated by Joel Carlson, president of the Kiwanis Club of Newport Beach-Corona del Mar, for his seven years of volunteer service as skipper of the Sea Scout Base National Flag Ship and for instructing hundreds of youths in sailing for more than 20 years.

Marian Perrin, who was nominated by Susan Seager, president of the Harbor Mesa Lions Club, for her dedicated passion with the Lions Sight and Hearing Van, which tests up to 8,000 Newport-Mesa schoolchildren a year, and her work at Share Our Selves, South Kitchen and Camp Teresita.

Don Gregg, who was nominated by Kim DeBroux, president of the Rotary Club of Costa Mesa, for his work on organizing the club’s community events, including the Lobster Fest, the district’s dental screening, holiday program at Bethel Towers, Relay for Life, Share Our Selves and MIKA.

Melanie Salata Fitch, who was nominated by Homer Bludau, retired Newport Beach city manager and member of the Irrelevant Week Committee. Fitch was cited for her leadership in Irrelevant Week, 35 years of charitable giving, and being named Volunteer of the Year by SPIN (Serving People In Need).

Tom Keyes, who was nominated by Edward Kohlmeier, president of the Exchange Club of Corona del Mar, for his passion for Child Abuse Prevention, near-perfect attendance at service and social events and help in forming other Exchange Clubs.

Ninety-year-old Rollo McLellan, who was nominated by Mike Scheafer of the Costa Mesa Newport Harbor Lions Club, for his 67 years of Lions membership, 63 years of participating in the club’s annual Fish Fry and helping to build the Harbor Area Boys & Girls Club and Lions Park Ball Field.

Ernie Delfin, who was nominated by Cecil Hess, president of the Rotary Club of Newport Irvine, for his community service activities, which began in the 1980s, and his leadership in forming a Rotaract Club at UC Irvine and commitment to help form Interact Clubs at Beckman and University high schools.

Dr. Robert Wood, who was nominated by Dick Freeman, Exchange Club of Newport Harbor, for organizing science fair judging, serving as membership director, Youth of the Year chairman, Young Citizen Award chairman and vice president for programs.

Charles Markel, who was nominated by Keith Mueller, president of the Kiwanis Club of Costa Mesa. Markel served as club president in 1989, district lieutenant governor in 1996 and will be president again in 2011-12. He chairs the club’s annual golf tournament and Athletes of the Month Awards program, and serves on the board of Harvest Food Bank.

Dr. Art Walton was nominated by Marc Aarons, president of the Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa, for his chairmanship of the Annual Frank E. Anderson Memorial Youth Track and Field Championship, and work on Back Bay cleanup, Scouting for Food, Reading by Nine, Arbor Day and volunteer work at the Share Our Selves medical clinic.

Wendy Hauk Kaiser was nominated by Denise Glass, of Soroptimist International of Newport Harbor, for leadership in implementing a Girl Scout program, “From Dreams to Reality Career & Finance,” which has been accepted as model program for Soroptimist International, and work on stopping human trafficking.

Sydney A. Lucas was nominated by Tim Brown, president of the Rotary Club of Newport Beach Sunrise, for his work with the Orange County Drug Court, Back Bay/Monte Vista high schools and Rotary Youth Leadership Awards and The Freedom Committee of Orange County.

All the inductees were welcomed to the Hall of Fame by Daily Pilot Editor John Canalis and City Editor Imran Vittachi, while Doug Bennett of the Orange Coast College Foundation served as master of ceremonies.

Congratulations to one and all, and thank you for making our communities a better place!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

— Leo Buscaglia

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS WEEK

How are you giving back to your community? Help your community and the world through a service club! For many, service club membership is an extension of our religious beliefs and congregation affiliation.

You are invited to attend a service club meeting this coming week to learn more about opportunity for service. Most clubs will buy your first meal for you as you get acquainted with them.

TODAY

7:30 a.m.: The 10-member Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club meets at Denny’s restaurant, 290 Bristol St., Costa Mesa.

Noon: The Exchange Club of Newport Harbor meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, 1601 Bayside Drive, Corona del Mar, for a business meeting.

5:15 p.m.: The 10-member Rotary Club of Costa Mesa meets at the Ramada Inn & Suites, 1680 Superior Ave., Costa Mesa. Visit www.costamesarotary.org.

6 p.m. The Rotary Club of Newport Balboa meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club for a send-off celebration for the youth ambassadors to Okazaki, Japan. Visit www.newportbalboa.org.

THURSDAY

7 a.m.: The 20-member Costa Mesa Orange Coast Lions Club meets at Mimi’s Café, 1835 Newport Blvd.

Noon: The 45-member Kiwanis Club of Newport Beach-Corona del Mar meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club. For more information, visit www.newportbeachkiwanis.org.

The 95-member Exchange Club of Newport Harbor meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club for a program by Richard Dodd, “The Bungalow Era in Orange County.” For more information, visit www.nhexchange.org.

The 45-member Kiwanis Club of Costa Mesa meets at the Costa Mesa Golf and Country Club, 1701 Golf Course Drive.

The 65-member Rotary Club of Newport Irvine meets at the University Club at UCI, 801 E. Peltason Drive, for a program by Beth Krom, Irvine city councilwoman, on local and national political Issues. Visit www.ni-rotary.org.

TUESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club meets at the Five Crowns, 3801 E. Coast Hwy., Corona Del Mar, for a program by Mary Lonich, Balboa Theater. For more information, visit www.newportbeachsunriserotary.org.