Agoura Hills honors volunteers who make community a better place

Volunteers who do everything from helping seniors prepare and submit tax returns to working as docents at the historic Reyes Adobe were honored last week during the 18th annual Agoura Hills Volunteer Recognition Night.

In his remarks during the ceremony, Mayor Denis Weber said 225 individuals donated their time on 17 committees. He said some people have volunteered their time and expertise to the city for more than 20 years.

“Once again, our city honors the volunteers that spend such a big part of their lives making our community a better place,” Weber said. “Their efforts are a constant source of wonder and pride to those of us that watch them work so tirelessly.

Weber and council members presented volunteers with a token of their appreciation, an engraved clock with photo holders.

“This is a very small way to say thank you for all your hard work,” said Councilmember Dan Kuperberg.

John Edelston, who is serving his third year on the city council, thanked the spouses of volunteers who sacrificed time that could have been spent with their families.

“It can be said that the strength of the community is governed by volunteers and people who want to get involved,” said William Koehler, one of the city’s newest council members.

Over the year, volunteers served on such committees as the Agoura Village Strategic Plan Task Force, the Architectural Review Panel, and the Community Center Alliance, which is staffed by just one woman, Joice Corridori, wife of former mayor and council member Ed Corridori, who left the city council this year after four terms of service.

Corridori also works with eight other volunteers on the Community Center Joint Powers Authority. Westlake Village Councilmember James Bozajian also serves on this committee.

The Architectural Review Panel consists of two volunteers, Gary Roller and Richard Merriman.

Friends of the Agoura Hills Library is the largest committee with 59 volunteers, 19 of whom were new last year. This committee has many family teams on it, including 41st District Assemblymember Fran Pavley, her husband, Andy and son, David.

Other families on this committee include Kimberly and Priscilla Boone, Jan and Tom Allen, Anna and Mary K. Hollinger, Kathryn and Lynn Nagle, Cynthia and Melissa Ryan, Nancy and Rebecca Wahigren, and Diane and Eric Haupt.

Other committees include the Community Emergency Response Team/Disaster Response Team, which has 28 members, while the Teen Volunteers in Training committee has 32 members.

Some volunteers help out on several committees, including James Benedict, who serves as a docent for the Reyes Adobe Historical site and also works as a senior volunteer and on the Senior Advisory Committee.

Tim Crosby, Herb Eckerling and Pete Reinisch have been helping seniors prepare and file their tax returns for many years.

Other committees include the Community Concert Band Committee, the Tennis League Coordinators, the General Plan Advisory Committee and the city’s Planning Commission, a five-member panel that meets on the first and third Thursdays of each month to make decisions on land use matters.

“You are the heart and soul of the community,” Councilmember Harry Schwarz told the volunteers.

For more information about volunteering in Agoura Hills, call (818) 597-7300.