By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Staff Writer
For the past 24 years, the Rotary Club of Crestline-Lake Gregory has invited other mountain organizations to honor one of their own who has gone above and beyond.
This year nine organizations paid homage to 19 people at the Mountain Communities Awards Banquet, held at Thousand Pines Camp.
President Jeri-Lynn Miller opened the evening with a flag salute, the singing of “God Bless America” and the reciting of Rotary’s 4-Way Test.
Table after table then went through the buffet line. Once all had been served, Miller introduced President-Elect Mary-Justine Lanyon, who served as the host for the evening.
Each honoree was called up to the stage where they received a framed certificate from the Rotary Club and certificates from Congressman Jay Obernolte, represented by Heather Gourlay; from County Supervisor Dawn Rowe, represented by Robin Bull; and from Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh. Certificates from Assemblyman Tom Lackey are in the mail.
The Crest Forest Senior Citizens Club honored Vicki Vargas for consistently spreading joy throughout the community. She is actively involved in everything related to Crestline and the surrounding communities. She is a worker bee, constantly trying to make the community better, while having fun.
Leslie Plouse, the director of Quality and Regulatory Compliance at Mountains Community Hospital, was recognized by the hospital for strengthening their focus on quality, safety and regulatory readiness. Her decades of experience have helped MCH build on its commitment to safe, reliable care while honoring the close-knit community spirit that makes the hospital unique.
The Women’s Club of Lake Arrowhead honored Sondra James for her artistic passion. Since moving to the mountain, she has been active in numerous nonprofit organizations. She has made 700 Boo-Boo Bears for children receiving care in the hospital and designed a holiday ornament that raised nearly $5,000 for the Blue Jay parade, which the Women’s Club now sponsors.
Soroptimist International of Rim of the World honored two of their members. Andrea Hilton was one of the founding members of this Soroptimist chapter. She has volunteered with several other nonprofit organizations and served as Soroptimist president for three terms. Born on the 4th of July, she is true to her nickname: Firecracker.
When Soroptimist International of Rim of the World needed steady leadership, Virgie Witte stepped up and has served as president for four years. She was honored for that dedication and her commitment to serving others. An accomplished pianist, she currently shares her talent by playing the keyboard at the Lake Arrowhead Community Presbyterian Church. She currently displays her culinary skills by preparing the monthly dinners at the Masonic Lodge.
The Rim of the World Unified School District honored 10 of their staff members. Dr. Paul Sevillano, the school superintendent, thanked the Rotary Club for hosting this public recognition ceremony, giving the school district the opportunity to recognize its staff for their dedication to improving the lives of the students.
The first recognized was Carl Uhrmann who has been with the district for 38 years – 36 teaching physical education and two social science – helping the students to grow into healthy capable and responsible people. He encouraged students to challenge themselves, support one another and take pride in doing their best.
Fifth-grade teacher Stephanie Plemons from Valley of Enchantment Elementary School has had a profound impact on her students, empowering them to become leaders while guiding them in service projects. As the advisor to one of the school’s EarlyAct Clubs – sponsored by the Rotary Club of Crestline-Lake Gregory – she guided the students as they created the Lake Gregory educational trail, built fishing line recycling stations and created handmade quilts for animals.
Amanda Aberg, who grew up in Running Springs, helped establish the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) at Charles Hoffman Elementary School. As a mother of eight, she devoted many years to raising and homeschooling her children. Across all her roles, she demonstrates compassion, leadership and a genuine dedication to supporting others.
Kaylee Bunyea, the Rim district’s ELOP coordinator, has developed a system of intervention and enrichment supports, while guaranteeing equal access for all students in the district. She has aligned the programing to student needs and enhanced student success. She was recognized by the State Superintendent for her innovative leadership and has been a mentor to other rural districts.
Harumi Goldsberry, the Child Nutrition lead at Rim High, has changed the perception of school food with her scratch cooking. At Rim High the students enjoy smoothies, parfaits and homemade egg burritos for breakfast. They have a salad bar twice a week, giving them healthier options. The district is grateful for her dedication to helping students receive nutritious, delicious food daily.
Although she couldn’t attend the banquet, Jessica Harp, the librarian for Charles Hoffman Elementary School in Running Springs, was honored for creating a love of reading in her students. She has started book clubs and created reading contests. She has a talent for matching the student to the book.
Scott Whiteside, who teaches at Mountain High School, believes his greatest contribution is helping students feel seen and heard, especially those who have lost confidence or never felt valued. He has made it his mission to help students believe in themselves. He supports all students requiring an alternative learning setting to ensure they achieve the credits necessary for early or on-time graduation. Many have returned to tell him they have “made it.”
Cindy Parker, who teaches at Lake Arrowhead Elementary School, goes above and beyond for the school. She has a way of making everyone feel special. Her mountain ties go back to the 1940s when her great-grandparents had a cabin in Crestline. She and her husband, Ron, moved to the mountain when he got a teaching job in the Rim district.
Ann Barany first came to the mountain as a student teacher, bringing sixth-grade students to science camp at what is now Pali Mountain. She has taught in the Rim schools for 12 years – at Lake Arrowhead Elementary, Valley of Enchantment Elementary and Mary Putnam Henck Intermediate. She is currently a teacher with Rim Virtual Academy.
Kathy DuBois began as an elementary school teacher but has spent more than 20 years as a counselor at Rim High. Her colleagues say she has a knack for knowing when someone needs a hug and a real talk. She helps students through hardships, dumb choices and life-building successes.
Mountain Meals on Wheels recognized one of their founding members, Wilma Rexwinkel, who has volunteered with them for over 30 years, helping those who cannot leave their homes to buy food. She has been the backbone of Meals on Wheels for decades and is indispensable to the program as its first and only treasurer.
The San Bernardino Fire Protection District honored Brian Leidner, who, for the past 10 years, has mentored Rim High youth in the school’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in Medical Core, Emergency Medical Response and Fire Technology programs. He has impacted the lives of hundreds of students and has helped build a pathway for mountain youth interested in emergency services and healthcare professions.
Chief Nicolas Turner presented Leidner with a special award, saying that “because of these types of programs, the San Bernardino County Fire District has the best firefighters in the nation. Brian has done so much for the community.”
Teri Ostlie dedicated more than 20 years as a teacher. An accomplished quilter, she creates quilts that are donated to veterans through the Quilts of Valor program. A past president of the Rotary Club of Lake Arrowhead, she has played a pivotal role in the founding of the Lake Arrowhead Gathering Place, which honored her. She has helped champion the vision of creating a community-centered space for seniors to connect, thrive and feel supported.
The Crestline Chamber of Commerce honored local artist Molly Collins for her creation of the Crestline Arts District, a collaborative, creative movement designed to help Crestline grow as an interactive arts destination. Her vision is to create a place where visitors and residents can actively participate in art, music, theater, workshops, festival and community events.
Following the presentation of certificates to the 19 honorees, Lanyon announced they had not selected a Mountain Hero this year but instead chose to recognize a past recipient of the honor – Mick Hill.
“Mick was chosen as our Mountain Hero in 2002,” she said. “But in true Mick fashion, he didn’t attend the dinner to receive his award. Instead, he was at Rim Bowling as he did not want to let down his team.
“Mick was a fierce advocate of the community he loved,” Lanyon noted. She added he was named Crestline Citizen of the Year in 2017 and served as the grand marshal of the Jamboree Days parade in 2021. He was a long-time member of the Rotary Club of Crestline-Lake Gregory.
Mick Hill perished on May 23 when his small plane crashed in Tulare County. “His death,” Lanyon said, “leaves a huge hole not only in Crestline but in the mountain communities as a whole.”
0 Comments