Georgette Tuttle, art teacher at Arcadia High School, received a school grant from the California Retired Teachers’ Association #71 (CalRTA) at a May faculty meeting. Principal David Vannasdall welcomed CalRTA #71 School Grant Committee members to the campus.

Georgette Tuttle (l) and Patti Hahn.

School Grant Committee Chairperson Patti Hahn presented the award to Georgette Tuttle, who had requested a grant to purchase canvases for murals to be painted by students. The completed paintings would then be displayed in the hallways of the high school’s Administration Building. Tuttle expressed her appreciation for the helpful grant, and CalRTA #71 President Joyce McGregor added her congratulations to the recipient of the award.

(l-r) CalRTA #71 President Joyce McGregor; AHS art teacher Georgette Tuttle; Committee Chairperson Patti Hahn, AHS Principal David Vannasdall

CalRTA #71 awards school grants each year for the purpose of helping teachers to purchase additional equipment or supplies for their classrooms. By visiting the schools to make presentations, CalRTA #71 hopes to acquaint future retirees with their organization.

Membership in the California Retired Teachers’ Association is open to all retired educators and also to any others interested in joining. For membership information, please contact Marietta Watkins at (323) 258-9615 or Patricia Dietrich at (626) 446-8437.

Foothill Unity Center has promoted a new Executive Director from its own ranks to replace recently-retired Joan E. Whitenack.
Deputy Director Betty R. McWilliams was chosen from a field of more than 20 candidates to assume leadership June 4 of the non-profit organization that helps local low-income families and individuals get the food, health care and crisis assistance they need to survive, and hopefully get back on their feet.

Betty R. McWilliams

As a key member of the Center’s management team for 14 years, McWilliams has played a pivotal role in its growth into one of the most effective nonprofit agencies in the area. In partnership with Whitenack, she led the expansion of its program service area from three cities to eleven, now providing services to more than 4,000 unduplicated very low income local families and homeless each year. She was instrumental in securing the Center’s federal designation as Community Action Agency for the Foothill Area and in the success of its major annual fundraising event, the Golden Plate Awards Dinner.

A retirement party for Joan Whitenack is planned from 5 – 8 p.m. Thursday, June 28, at the Double Tree Hotel in Monrovia. For information and reservations ($10 per person), contact Barbara Rolf at the Center, 626.358.3486 or email barbara@foothillunitycenter.org

In addition to overseeing the Center’s day-to-day operations, McWilliams has helped to develop many of its client programs, including Health Services, Pet Food Bank, Senior/Disabled Home Delivery, case management and much more. She has also been instrumental in the planning and execution of its annual Back to School, Thanksgiving and Holiday Distributions. Prior to joining the Center, McWilliams served as Executive Director of the Pasadena Senior Center for six years and held other administrative positions in the private sector.

“After a months-long search and the review of a strong field of final candidates, Betty emerged as the hands-down choice of our Executive Search Committee,” said David Steinmeier, President of the Center’s Board of Directors. “As Foothill Unity Center enters a new era of helping local families in need, we are fortunate and proud to have Betty’s exceptional leadership skills, seasoned experience, caring and passion at the helm.”

In 2011, the nonprofit Center, the Community Action Agency for the Foothill area, provided more than 35,000 family food services – including monthly groceries, weekly perishable foods, bag lunches for the homeless, homebound delivery and more. The organization also supplies access and referrals to health care services, plus referrals to over 100 local organizations and partners for other crisis services.

Congratulations to Arcadia High School senior Eric Fornaciari, the winner of this year’s Arcadia Rotary Club George R. Hensel Ethics Essay Contest.

“As Rotarians, we believe that ethics is, and should be, a part of our everyday lives,” said Dr. Brad Miller, Arcadia Rotary Club president.

Eric Fornaciari

With the contest’s overall theme of “ethics in general,” Fornaciari’s essay titled “Integrity or Friendship,” “describes a situation where a strong friendship is weakened due to a temporary lapse in judgment by another.”
“It goes on to describe how eventually I had to back off the friendship in order to maintain my integrity,” said Fornaciari.
Fornaciari is an Eagle Scout and has been active in water polo and soccer for the past three years. He is Publicity Commissioner of the school’s Senior Men and Women leadership and service group and served as the 2011 Relay for Life team captain. Future plans include attending UCLA this September to study computer science.
“Eric is a wonderful student ready to graduate from Arcadia High School,” said Assistant Principal Catherine Merel. “Thank you for giving our students an opportunity to express their opinions in such a meaningful way.”
Fornaciari will continue to represent the club as the contest continues and had advanced to the third level of the competition at the time of publication. The overall winning essay will be presented at Rotary’s district conference this June where the winning contestant will be awarded a $3,000 scholarship.

The contest, founded and fully funded by late Montebello club member George Hensel, was designed to challenge high school students to analyze ethical issues and concerns confronting them in today’s complex world. The purpose of the contest, in its twelfth year, is to promote the importance of ethics among today’s youth, to encourage them to express their views, and to fulfill Rotary’s commitment to vocational service.
Open to all high school students in Rotary District 5300, the contest serves as an opportunity for students to win scholarships as well as a venue for youth to express their views on ethics. It is hoped the contest will promote healthy dialog between adults and youth in this area.
“Other Rotary district contests attract musicians and public speakers, the so-called performers of the world,” said a district spokesperson. “This is a contest for those whose talents are not usually displayed in public, those who can write well.”
The essay must be between 500 and 1,000 words and must be an original, unpublished work of the student. Essays are judged on composition, content, and creativity.

– by Anne Donofrio-Holter

The non-profit Arcadia Indians youth football and cheer organization is seeking sponsors to help support the non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to provide sportsmanship and leadership skills.

Officially called Arcadia Junior All American Football Association, Inc., the league made of more than 200 participating boys and girls age 6-14 who live in Monrovia, Arcadia or Sierra Madre was without a board of directors or funds last year and was close to being forced to merge with a Temple City league.

The few remaining backers are seeking businesses to be sponsors for as low as $100 or donate items to be sold at the Indians Pep Rally, such as hot dogs, hamburgers, sodas, water bottles, chips, etc.  (See form below.)
The group that has been around since 1969 will also be having a State Line turnaround trip in July, for which donated goods are needed to be raffled off on the bus to State Line, such as gift certificates and sports memorabilia. See also the Indians’ Facebook page.

The success of the organization has been credited to the volunteers who provide a healthy learning environment, where they learn hands on skills not just in football and in cheer, but in working together, showing good leadership skills, and through academic achievement. Academic achievement is emphasized — all participants must maintain a 2.0 GPA.

Registration fees are set low enough to just cover minimum costs, with corporate and individual sponsorships necessary to make up for additional overhead costs. Donations to the 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation are tax-deductible.

– By Scott Hettrick

More than 160 people attended Arcadia Rotary Club’s first Casino Night fundraiser with club members hailing the event as a huge success.
“Thanks to the generosity of our supporters and sponsors, we are able to raise almost $21,000 to further our charitable projects,” said club president Dr. Brad Miller.

The Arcadia Community Center was transformed into a Monte Carlo casino for the evening as guests tried their hand at Craps, Roulette, Blackjack, Pai Gow and Texas Hold ‘Em.
“The casino company did a fabulous job of working with all level of players from the experts to those who had never played the games,” said Arcadia Rotarian Michael Real. “And we received rave reviews on the evening’s cuisine.”

The prizes ranged from a helicopter ride around Southern California to tickets to sporting events, flat screen televisions and a $1,000 shopping spree at Westfield Santa Anita.
Funds raised will help support club projects such as teacher mini-grants, leadership training for high school students, student speech and music awards and provide ongoing maintenance at Boy Scouts’ Camp Trask in Monrovia Canyon. Internationally, the club helps finance wells that provide clean water in eight countries and construction projects at Tijuana orphanages. Projects members have supported for the past 25 years.

“Of course, the main thrust of Rotary since 1985 has been the eradication of polio with over $800 million raised to date and only a few countries still reporting cases,” said Miller. “The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged $555 million to Rotary for the final push towards complete eradication.”

A special thank you to event underwriters Westfield Santa Anita, Post Alarm Systems, Sierra Auto Cars, Methodist Hospital of Southern California and The Derby, Matt Denny’s and Opera restaurants.
“We thank those that came and had a fun evening,” said Miller. “We will be bringing it back bigger and better next year.”
The Arcadia Rotary Club meets every Friday from noon to 1:30 pm at the Embassy Suites Hotel located at 211 E Huntington Drive in Arcadia.

– by Anne Donofrio-Holter