City Business: It’s Awards Night at La Verne City Hall
Mayor Don Kendrick is tickled to death to present Marcia Townsend with the Jack Huntington Award for her outstanding contributions and exemplary service to the City and the community.
It wasn’t the Oscars or the Grammies, but La Verne did a pretty good job Monday night of recognizing three citizens – Marcia Townsend, Dave Perrin and Lindsey Kunisaki — for their outstanding service to their community.
An overflow audience, including what appeared to be 411’s entire troop of Boy Scouts, watched Mayor Don Kendrick and the City Council present Marcia Townsend with the Jack Huntington Award for her outstanding and exemplary service to scouting in La Verne.
Townsend began her scouting career in 1986, as one of the founding members and Cubmaster to Oak Mesa Elementary School, and in 1992, Marcia became the Scoutmaster of Troop 411. While Marcia has been Scoutmaster, 29 scouts have reached the rank of Eagle Scout. Marcia is also the Unit Commissioner for the Cub Scout Packs of La Verne and San Dimas.
The Scouts turned out in big numbers to honor and show their appreciation for their leader.
Future Eagle scouts!
She helps the packs with Scouting issues and the transition from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. Marcia also served as a Committee Board Member of the Friends of the 4th when Troop 411 first began to host the 4th Pancake Breakfast.
“Marcia is a citizen we can all be proud of,” Kendrick said. “She especially exemplifies the Pride of La Verne through her selfless and exemplary volunteer service to the community and is truly deserving of this year’s presentation of the Jack Huntington Pride of La Verne Award.”
Jack Huntington was a longtime community volunteer in La Verne, who served in the La Verne Jaycees, Little League and Youth Basketball programs. He was also a City of La Verne Commissioner for more than 15 years.
Optimism is Dave Perrin's oxygen. Perrin has been a longtime youth soccer, basketball and now track coach in La Verne.
Meanwhile, Dave Perrin was honored with the Jim Scranton Pride of La Verne Award. Dave served as a volunteer and coach with the American Youth Soccer Organization from 1996 through 2009. In addition, he coached basketball for the La Verne city league, NJB basketball league and Bonita High girls’ varsity basketball. His coaching style of not pushing, but facilitating, each player to meet and exceed his or her goal earned him a huge following of loyal fans, parents and players. Among his current volunteer activities, he helps coach track at Bonita high school.
“Dave Perrin is an asset to our city, our community and every child he has ever coached,” Kendrick said. “Dave has truly made a difference in the lives of a multitude of our youth and carries forward the unselfish spirit and dedication synonymous with Jim Scranton Pride of La Verne Award.
Jim Scranton, after whom the award is named, was a longtime La Verne resident who formed the La Verne Lazers Soccer Club in 1986 and served on the City’s Youth Sports Committee since its inception.
Lindsey Kunisaki was honored for her extraordinary accomplishment to build a teen center within the La Verne Community Center while also being a top student and band member at Bonita High School.
Last but not least, youth was served when Lindsey Kunisaki, a senior at Bonita High was honored with a Pride of La Verne award for accomplishing her goal of creating a teen friendly space in the youth lounge at the La Verne Community Center. To accomplish this project toward her Girl Scout Gold Award (tantamount to the Boy Scouts’ Eagle Award), Lindsey held fundraisers and collected donations of CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes. In addition, she raised the necessary funds for supplies to complete a mural in the youth lounge. The mural, which depicts a diverse group of youth at a Concert in the Park, is a collaboration between Lindsey and other BHS students that was completed in September 2010. Lindsey is also an outstanding student and performer in the Bonita Marching Band.
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