By Clyde Noel
Town Crier Correspondent
More unsung volunteers received their overdue credit at an event last week created to give such people a big community thank-you.
Last Friday, the 19th annual Los Altos-Los Altos Hills Joint Community Volunteer Service Awards committee honored eight volunteers. The local American Legion Post 558 collected a group award.
With the Youth Center decorated in holiday colors, more than 200 people attended the affair to wish the volunteers a hearty congratulations.
Keynote speakers Marge Gratiot and Bob Grimm spoke about the value of volunteering in the community.
“We represent both sides of volunteering,” said Gratiot, superintendent of the Los Altos School District. “Bob gives a lot of time and money to volunteering. I’m at the other end - I ‘take’ for the schools. Our schools are special places where the community comes together to honor our children.”
Grimm said in the past he has worked with many of the people in the audience and there must be an attraction to have them volunteer.
“Touching their ego is one way to reach a volunteer,” said Grimm, a retired Hewlett-Packard scientist. “There is prestige in working with top level people and there is personal satisfaction, but a lot of volunteering is just plain fun.”
The 2001 Joint Community Volunteer Services Awards honorees are:
Irene Grenier, for work on the “Music & Memories” and oral histories programs at the Los Altos History Museum; presented by Don McDonald.
Cindy Luedtke, referred to as the “spark plug” for Partners for New Generations, a program that joins volunteer adult mentors with students who need help; presented by Jean Hollands.
Barbara Bryson, for her contribution to the Los Altos Library endowment and Friends of the Library; presented by Mary Lou Ferguson.
Ethel Blank, for making the Los Altos Hills council chamber more attractive by displaying local artists, having it painted, replacing the carpet and acting as a consultant on other Los Altos Hills projects; presented by Elaine Dauber.
Sandy Humphries, for having a “passionate commitment” to protect the rural environment and bring a balance to development of large houses in Los Altos Hills; presented by Dot Shreiner
Scott Vanderlip, who moved to Los Altos Hills five years ago and has pushed for improvements to the pathways system as co-chairman of the committee. Vanderlip co-founded Hills 2000, a community activist group, and serves as the Webmaster for the Hills organization; presented by Ginger Summitt and Nancy Ewald.
Tatiana Granoff, for co-chairing the Measure H campaign for Los Altos School District’s successful 1998 bond campaign, and for accompanying the Main Street Singers on two tours to Europe. She serves as a librarian at Santa Rita School and heads the book sale for the library; presented by Steve Peck and Margot Harrigan.
Bill Crook, for the traffic safety program at Loyola School and other help for Loyola; presented by Leslie Lodestro.
Los Altos American Legion Post 558, for the many programs the Legion conducts with Los Altos schools and their contribution to the town in other programs. Bill and Kenneth Newman accepted the award; presented by Hank Nagao.
Special recognition was given to Bob Johnson of Los Altos Hills for providing support to the nominating committee and supporting the Joint Community Volunteer Service Awards network for 12 years.
