Jane Bigelow is business volunteer of year
By Clyde Noel, Special to the Town Crier
 From left are Los Altos Hills Mayor Mike O’Malley, Jane Bigelow, recipient of the 13th Walter and Marie Singer Award, and Los Altos Mayor David Casas. |
Relying on tradition and social interaction, the 22nd annual Los Altos Chamber of Commerce “Salute to the Mayors” honored Los Altos Mayor David Casas and Los Altos Hills Mayor Mike O’Malley last Saturday at the Los Altos Golf & Country Club.
The 13th Walter and Marie Singer Award was presented to Jane Bigelow, manager of San Antonio Coldwell Banker real estate office. The award is given annually to a local business leader whose community service and commitment to business demonstrates the spirit of the community.
Previous winners of the Singer Award select the “Order of the Bow” recipient. The most recent winner, Louise Spangler, presented the red bow to Bigelow. The award is named after the late Walter and Marie Singer who were heavily involved in community activities. Walter died in 1992, Marie, in 1997.
“Jane has been in real estate 25 years and during that time she has volunteered at various city events including acting as chairwoman of the Los Altos Arts and Wine Festival,” said Chamber Board Chairman Steve Shepherd. “She is also chair (woman) for the Relay For Life,” a reference to the American Cancer Society fund-raiser scheduled June 25-26 in Los Altos.
Presenter Paul Nyberg described Casas as a cancer survivor and a brawler in grade school who’s only vice today is drinking coffee.
“When I committed to run for city council, I reached out to members of our great community and asked for their insight and advice,” Casas said. “What I learned is: be ethical, maintain your integrity, be true to your beliefs, be thankful and gracious. If you’re on the losing end of a decision, move on, it is unbecoming to wallow in your defeat.”
Casas maintained that being on the council is an honor so one should treat it as such. Never complain about the time it will take, after all you asked for the job. He is indebted to John Moss for the way he integrated three newly elected members of the city council when he was mayor.
Dean Warshawsky was presenter for O’Malley and said, “Mike would never have called for a boycott of Los Altos businesses. It would have been too much pain and agony not to eat at Ragusa Restaurant.”
As a second presenter, Los Altos Hills Councilman Breene Kerr said, “Mike has been the go-to guy. He signs the checks and the community is blessed to have him.”
“I learned two things on the council,” O’Malley said. “Never give anybody your e-mail address and never suggest putting a school on the little league field.”
O’Malley offered his opinion that the two councils are getting a lot closer than they were, “but it is still Maureen (Cassingham, the town’s city manager) who keeps me out of a lot of trouble,” he said.
The evening concluded with dancing to The Jazz Workshop where party dresses swirled and the few optional black ties were quickly stowed in pants pockets.
