July 5, 2007

CAL STATE

Three Cal State Fullerton staff members, who live in Fullerton, were recently recognized with the 2007 Outstanding Staff Employee Award.

Kathy G. Moore, Jim Powell and Sharnette Underdue were honored before an audience of more than 1,000 of their peers.

Moore, administrative support coordinator in the College of Health and Human Development, took the lead role in sorting, organizing and transferring files for the formation of the colleges of Education and Health and Human Development.

She was also lauded for her role as the project building coordinator.

Powell, web design and support lead in Information Technology, is know for his calm demeanor exhibited in more than 30 years on campus.

He began at CSF in 1976 when he was hired away from his alma mater, UC Irvine, to serve as a communications specialist in the Career Center. Before joining IT in 1999, he served the Public Affairs division.

Underdue, the resident director in student housing, has served the campus for five years. She has lived on campus overseeing and organizing social, educational and cultural activities for those in residence halls.She designed a four-day new resident orientation program for nearly 800 residents, advised the Resident Association, planned a two-week training program for the 21-resident adviser staff and served as the on-call professional every night.

The three recipients were presented with $1,500 checks from the Presidents Associates.

COMMONWEALTH

Ever wonder what happens to the moisture-soaked flags that are placed on more than 3,000 graves for Loma Vista Memorial Park’s Memorial Day ceremony?

Thank volunteers at the Fullerton Senior Center who, for years, have diligently ironed each banner and packed them away for the following year’s event.

And that’s not all the helpers do to better the community.

The men and women help with the center’s health and resource fairs.

Kudos to Lynn Abouchar, Tony Amato, Alicia Alvarez, Rose Andrews, Fran Arnold, Betty Barber, Nell Berberich, Sally Bocanegra, Esther Chokany, Lillian Costro, Mary Danko and Tomie Hodge. More are Eliza Gonzales, Barbara Gulassa, Ellen Hanley, Jane Holt, Clara Kim, Naomi Ledesma, Zella Lerch, Esther Martinez and Lee Milburn and son Bob.

Also, Leslie Morton, Linda Murphy, Veolada Reed, Suzie Schrepfer, Dorothy Smeltz, Beverly Travers, Theresa Wang and Gail Watson.

GINGERWOOD

Melate Bekele, a student at Cal State Fullerton and a college intern for the Orange County Transportation Authority, helped the OCTA capture a record 17 awards for superior work in effective communications from the Orange County Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

Bekele has worked with OCTA for three years. She has been involved in various community outreach and media relations campaigns including the Garden Grove Freeway Improvement Project and the county’s transportation sales tax.

HERMOSA PLACE

Dr. Clyde Kitchen, who recently completed his book, “Fact and Fiction of Healthy Vision Eye Care for Adults and Children,” discussed his findings with OLLI (formerly Continuing Learning Experience) members and guests earlier this week at the Campus Authors Program.

A practicing ophthalmologist for more than 44 years, Kitchen described refractive surgery options, and also explained common problems from red eye to macular degeneration.

The next program, “Extreme Waves,” by author Craig Smith, will focus on the origin of waves, explaining how calm seas change to stormy seas, how waves propagate and how ships and offshore structures respond to extreme waves.
There are 100 real-life stories in the book.

OLLI meets in the Ruby Gerontology Center at Cal State Fullerton. Information: 657-278-2446.

LA TRAVESIA

In her Fullerton Council of PTAs president’s report, Susan Kinzinger commended school volunteers who have donated 92,301 hours during the 2006-07 school year. The estimated dollar value of the time is $18.77 per hour for 2006 at the national level, Kinzinger and council historian Kathie Johnson reported.

The value of volunteer time is based on the average hourly earnings of all production and non-supervisory workers on private non-farm payrolls as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Independent Sector increases the figure by 12 percent to estimate for fringe benefits.

Considering the latest year, 2005, for these numbers, the value of volunteer hours in California is $20.36.
So, Fullerton volunteers donated an impressive $18.7 million worth of labor toward the schools.