Chamber gives out annual Penland Award

By Stephanie Bertholdo Acorn Staff Writer

LISA ADAMS/The Acorn A SPECIAL EVENING-Eileen Kahn, left, stands beside a photograph of her late husband, Bob, while Lavonne Thornbury stands beside a photo of her late husband, J.D. Both widows were awarded Penland Awards (best citizen of the year award) for their husbands Saturday night by the Agoura/Oak Park/Las Virgenes Chamber of Commerce during a gala at the Praying Monk, next to The Canyon.

Robert "Bob" Kahn and J.D. Thornbury were honored posthumously with this year’s Penland Award by the Agoura/Oak Park/Las Virgenes Chamber of Commerce at an annual banquet last Saturday.

The event, "An Evening to Remember," was presented at The Canyon in Agoura Hills and was co-sponsored by the Wellness Community of the Valley/Ventura.

Alex Soteras, chamber president, presided over the event. Soteras explained that the Penland award is named after Walt Penland, a former Las Virgenes sheriff’s deputy. The award has been presented to residents who’ve contributed the most to their community each year since 1978.

Agoura Hills City Councilman Denis Weber saluted Kahn and Thornbury as this year’s Penland Award winners.

Weber said he met Thornbury in 1986 when his horse was sick with colic, and from that point, he developed a lifelong friendship with the former rodeo cowboy and trick rider who lived in Old Agoura.

Weber said that Thornbury was everyone’s friend and that he always had an optimistic view. Thornbury eventually spent 14 years as a beloved crossing guard at Willow Elementary School in Agoura Hills. Weber said Thornbury refused to wear a baseball cap, preferring his signature cowboy hat instead.

"Cowboys like him aren’t supposed to die," Weber said.

Grant Gerson, owner of Calamigos Ranch in Malibu and last year’s Penland Award winner, said that even though Thornbury didn’t have a lot of money, "he was one of the richest men I ever knew. He had so much love and so much living . . . he gave all the time."

Thornbury’s wife, Lavonne, accepted the award on her husband’s behalf.

Bob Kahn, who died on the eve of the school board election last year, is best remembered for his dedication to education in Oak Park. A 26-year Oak Park resident, Kahn was a strong advocate for both the school district and community. He helped open six schools and served three terms as a member of the Oak Park Unified School District Board of Education.

Kahn is also remembered as founding president of the Oak Park Community Foundation and co-founded the Agoura Youth Basketball Association.

Kahn’s son, Arthur, who lives in Colorado, had a message read at the ceremony honoring his father. "Dad did everything with pride and diligence," he said.

Kahn’s wife, Eileen, accepted the Penland Award on her husband’s behalf and said, "If Bob were here at this event, he would say thank you for getting this award."

Soteras added that Kahn was known as "Mr. Oak Park."

The Agoura Beautiful Award was presented to the Agoura Hills Senior Retreat. Executive director Brenda Hans accepted the award.

The chamber event also featured appetizers, raffle drawings and black jack. The top eight winners received trips to Las Vegas or Laughlin, and the grand winner won a pendant. The grand raffle prize was a cruise.