Activists nominated for memorial awards

Elise Gee

COSTA MESA -- Three community activists were nominated this week to

receive Circle of Service awards and memorial plaques in Lions Park.

Charles and Betty Jean Beecher, who shaped the Costa Mesa Historical

Society, and Roy Andreen, a former dean at OCC, were nominated by Mayor

Gary Monahan for longtime service to the community.

Circle of Service awards recognize citizens for their long-term service

to the community or extraordinary contributions to the city. The

recipients are honored with a memorial plaque at the fountain outside the

Neighborhood Community Center in Lions Park. The parks commission will

review the recommendations Wednesday and send them to the city council.

“Charles and Betty, they were kind of like the pulse, the lifeblood of

the historical society,” Monahan said. “They really got that going and

worked on that for 30 years.”

The Beechers spent countless hours together at the historical society,

collecting and organizing photos, creating a library and classifying

artifacts.

They also put in regular hours at the Estancia Adobe, giving talks and

acting as docents. But many consider their biggest contribution to be

their successful lobbying of the city in 1981 to purchase a permanent

home for the Historical Society.

Betty Beecher passed away in 1998. About a year later, in the spring of

this year, Charles died.

Roy Andreen was nominated by Monahan for a variety of contributions to

the city.

“Roy has been involved in so many different things -- the Mesa del Mar

Homeowners Association, TeWinkle Park, the planning commission,” Monahan

said.

Andreen served as OCC’s Dean of Counseling and Guidance for 15 years. He

was president of the Mesa del Mar Homeowners Assn. for 20 years and also

served as vice president of the Costa Mesa Senior Center’s executive

board. He died in 1998.

Past recipients of the Circle of Service award include Glen “Les” Miller

for his involvement in the Lions Club and Susan Temple for her long

service to the city in its finance department.