Hard-working women recognized

Barbara Diamond

Six outstanding Laguna Beach women took well-deserved bows Monday

at the annual dinner sponsored by the Laguna Beach Branch of the

American Assn. of University Women.

Iris Adam, Marsha Bode, Julia Johnson, Jeannette Merriliees, Irma

Ronses and Marilyn S. Thomas were honored for their contributions to

the community.

“We like the honorees to fit into the AAUW categories of have

exemplary characters, charming personalities, good looks and

humility,” said outgoing branch President Carol Reynolds, who founded

the Women of Achievement Awards. “We did a wonderful job in selecting

these people.”

Adam was honored for her accomplishments as an artist and teacher

of art, for her long service to the city’s arts commission, as a

founder of the Laguna Outreach Community Arts and as savior of the

Art-A-Fair Grounds. The grounds serve as an art venue and the site of

many community events. The awards dinner was held at Tivoli Too on

the grounds.

“I was astounded when Carol [Reynolds] told me about this honor,”

Adam said. “But now it’s here. Seeing all of you out there. Oh Wow!

I haven’t done anything more to deserve this than a whole bunch of

art people.”

Vera Martinez, director of Orange County Headstart Inc. introduced

Marsha Bode, whose name is almost synonymous with community service.

Bode first surfaced as the director of the Episcopal Service

Alliance center, serving lunch everyday for 20-30 homeless people.

She later became the director of the Laguna Fire Relief Coalition

that evolved into Laguna Beach Resource Center.

She served two terms as President of the Laguna Beach Woman’s Club

and started a holiday program that gives food and presents to 250

adults and children annually.

Education honoree Julia Johnson was recognized for her work in

literacy and reading programs. She was introduced by Janette Mestre

Johnson started the Sunshine Readers program when her daughter,

Candace, was in the National Charity League, a mother/daughter

philanthropic organization. The program now has 200 teenage members

trained by Julia to go to libraries, hospitals and homes to read to

children, the elderly, the handicapped, pregnant women and the

hospitalized.

“If you could see her in her Halloween ‘jammies reading to a group

of enraptured children, and beyond to their parents, you would know

we made an excellent choice tonight,” Mestre said.

Mary Fegraus, the 1999 honoree for her environmental efforts,

introduced 2002 honoree Merrilees, a retired attorney and a

relentless advocate for the environment.

“You don’t just wake up one morning and say, ‘I’m going to save

trees,’” Fegraus said. “You don’t become a conservationist overnight.

“One of Jeannette’s first projects was Crescent Bay Park,” she

continued. “Did you all think it had always been there? It hasn’t.

Then she took on the Brinderson project, now called Smithcliffs.

Sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t. But the project is better for

her efforts.”

Most recently, Merrilees successfully battled the development of a

pricey resort at Crystal Cove.

“Nobody does this kind of project by herself,” Merrilees said.

Honoree Ronses was a shy, timid lady who spoke little English when

incoming AAUW branch President Carol Redford first met her. That is

long behind her.

Ronses graduated from the La Playa Center at St. Mary’s Episcopal

Church, which teaches English to Laguna’s Spanish-speaking residents.

“She went from there to the PTA and then the Cross Cultural Task

Force,” Redford said. “Now she is co-manager of the day labor site.

No matter what she takes on, she makes it bigger than it was.”

Medical services are being introduced at the day labor site and

English as a Second Language classes began Monday.

“Thank you for this honor,” Ronses said. “I want to contribute

even more. Laguna Beach has offered my family so many opportunities.”

Thomas was a teacher for 30 years, and that experience carries

into her volunteer work. She taught at the Ocean Institute children’s

lab, took exhibits in the institute’s Ocean in Motion van to children

with special needs in schools throughout Southern California, wrote

songs for the K-3 program and performed them on her autoharp.

She is a member of the Laguna Beach Police Department’s Citizen on

Patrol program and has taught safety in Laguna Beach schools. She was

awarded the department’s medal of merit.

Thomas also tutored in the El Morro Elementary School bilingual

program.

She also worked with her husband, Les, and Arts Commissioner

Emeritus Doris Shields to establish Concerts in the Park Inc.

“Volunteerism isn’t all about me,” Thomas said. “It’s all about

the team.”

“It’s been said that it takes a village to make a child; well, it

takes a village to make a village,” Reynolds said. “The AAUW was

founded in 1881 to promote equity for all women and girls, lifelong

education and positive societal change. Tonight we are all living our

mission.”