Thomas named Federation's Citizen of the Year
Old Agoura resident a 'longtime giver'
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

Photo courtesy Jess Thomas TEXAS CEEGAR- Jess Thomas, second from left, a motorcycle enthusiast and former racer from Old Agoura, stands next to the machine he rode while setting a land speed record in 1958. Pictured with Thomas is Dennis Tackett, left, crew chief of the Triumph Streamliner project, and Keith Martin, right, a Triumph dealer in Dallas who helped restore the historic motorcycle after it was burned in a fire. The bike's name was Texas Ceegar. Thomas is from Ft. Worth, Texas.

Jess Thomas, an Old Agoura resident and member of the Las Virgenes Homeowners Federation, was honored as the federation's Citizen of the Year at their 40th annual installation banquet April 20.

Steve Hess, former LVHF president, presented Thomas the award for ongoing activism and leadership.

Hess called Thomas the "best Las Virgenes has to offer," and said Thomas has been a longtime leader and activist on environmental and land management issues.

Thomas has had an illustrious career. As a professional motorcycle racer in the United States and abroad, he earned a world land speed record in 1958 during his senior year in high school. The 214 mph record still stands , Hess said.

MAN OF THE HOUR- Jess Thomas, named Citizen of the Year by the Las Virgenes Homeowners Federation, is honored for his many years of service to the community, particularly his work to protect the Santa Monica Mountains.

Thomas worked as a technical editor for Cycle magazine for 15 years. The job prompted Thomas to leave New York and head west to the Thousand Oaks area, Hess said. Thomas also worked as an engineer for Harley-Davidson for about a year.

"I couldn't stand that they wouldn't let me race, for one thing," Thomas said of his short stint at Harley-Davidson. "At the magazine I could race and write about racing."

For years, the National Motorcycle Museum in England showcased the 1956 Triumph Streamliner, also known as the "Texas Ceegar," the motorcycle Thomas and his team rode when they broke the speed record.

The motorcycle was destroyed when the museum burned down.

An SOS (Save Our Streamliner) project was launched and luckily, the man who created the mold for the sleek machine was able to rebuild and restore what remained of the cycle since the original mold had been kept by the original designer.

"I had a group of crazy friends back there in Fort Worth," Thomas said about his hometown. "They (convinced) the owner of the museum to ship the carcass of the motorcycle back to Texas."

The museum held a rededication ceremony in January 2005 with Thomas and his past teammates as featured guests, Hess said.

"I'm particularly pleased to be here because (Jess) is our homeboy," said Bill Koehler, an Agoura Hills City Council member. "He's Mr. Old Agoura. Everybody knows Jess and what he stands for."

Thomas received proclamations and commendations from many civic leaders, including Koehler, Calabasas Mayor Dennis Washburn, Assemblymember Julia Brownley and Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.

Yaroslavsky said changes in the way the Santa Monica Mountains are managed didn't happen because of politics, but because of the grass roots efforts of people like Thomas.

Brownley called Thomas a "protector of the environment."

Thomas was chosen to participate in numerous city committees on open space. He worked on the Agoura Hills General Plan update committee, and was appointed to the Citizen's Advisory Committee when the North Area Plan was being drafted. The Santa Monica North Area Plan was approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in 2000 to rein in extensive development in rural areas and protect a 32-square-mile swath of land from Hidden Hills to Westlake Village.

Thomas said the Santa Monica Mountains region will continue to be among the most pleasant places in which to live and the "most beautiful."

"Jess has just been a longtime contributor and supporter of the Santa Monica Mountains," Hess said. "He's been like the little engine that keeps running and providing horsepower for projects in the mountains. He's been a longtime giver."

Thomas has served as president of the Old Agoura Homeowners Association, and led the fight against building Heschel School adjacent to the equestrian area. Thomas believes the school violates the intent of the North Area Plan.

Thomas and his wife, Toni, have been married for 44 years. They have two adult daughters and a year-old granddaughter. Thomas continues to run his Conejo Valley family business, a construction equipment repair shop.