The wardens and vestry of St. Francis...

The wardens and vestry of St. Francis Episcopal Church, Palos Verdes Estates, have appointed the Rev. Robert E. Dunn as rector. Dunn and his wife, Gaye, came to Palos Verdes Estates from Kirkland, Wash., where he was rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church for 10 years. He is the second priest to serve St. Francis Church, which was founded by the Rev. Robert A. Tourigney, who retired in June, 1987. The Rev. Donald Veale served as priest in charge during the interim period.

The appointment of two South Bay residents to county commissions has been approved by the Board of Supervisors after their selection by Supervisor Deane Dana.

Paul G. Nussbaum of Rolling Hills Estates will serve on the Los Angeles County Commission on Disabilities. Nussbaum was an employee assistance counselor with Security Pacific Bank until he was wounded and disabled in a freeway shooting incident. He previously was a staff and faculty counselor with USC and a psychiatric assistant with Del Amo Hospital in Torrance. He was also a tennis professional.

Ursell (Russ) Nolte of Torrance, past president of the Torrance Senior Citizens Council, has been appointed to the Los Angeles County Commission on Aging. He is president of the Torrance chapter of American Assn. of Retired Persons and is active in a number of other senior citizens and veterans organizations.

Robin Kark of Torrance and Anthony Ferkich of San Pedro have been named recipients of the Candlelight Award, presented by the Los Angeles chapter of the American Red Cross in recognition of exemplary service by volunteers.

Ferkich, a college student, teaches first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation and serves as a volunteer during summer and holiday breaks from college. Since becoming a volunteer in 1982, Ferkich has trained people in more than 100 classes. Kark, a registered nurse, has taught CPR and has served as a disaster services nurse. She has taught 14 classes in less than a year and a half.

Dr. Norman E. Byer, who has practiced ophthalmology in Torrance for the last 28 years, has been awarded the Wacker Prize for his research in the field of retinal diseases. The prize is funded by the Hermann Wacker Foundation of Munich, Germany, and is awarded once every two years for original research in retinal, choroidal or vitreal diseases, by the Jules Gonin Society of Lausanne, Switzerland, an international group of retinal specialists of which Byer is a member.

Joan Keith of San Pedro, former assistant principal at Central Adult High School, has been assigned as interim principal at the San Pedro/Wilmington Skills Center replacing Richard Belman, who is on indefinite leave because of illness. Keith has had extensive experience with business and industry through career guidance and vocational education programs of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Irene Goolsby-Pinkard, assistant dean of instruction at Los Angeles Harbor College, has been awarded the first Affirmative Action Commitment Award by the Los Angeles Community College District. The award was presented by Harbor College President James Heinselman in recognition of Goolsby-Pinkard’s service as the college’s affirmative action officer from 1984 to 1988.

Seven South Bay teachers were honored as “Teachers of the Year” at a recent awards luncheon sponsored by the county Board of Education. They are Anne Lenker, El Segundo Unified School District; Margaret Audet Shoukry, Inglewood Unified; Genevieve B. DeSota, Lennox School District; Lesley R. Hamil, Manhattan Beach City Elementary; Clark K. Post, Redondo Beach City Elementary; Marilyn A. Whirry, South Bay Union High School District, and Marlene Shlens, Torrance Unified.

Whirry, who teaches English at Mira Costa High School, also received a $25,000 California Educator Award earlier this year.