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LACP's
Everett Littlefield gets well deserved special mention
in the LA Times
For several months now, an unassuming Silverlake resident, Everett
Littlefield, has been an enthusiastic participant in Los Angeles
Community Policing. The LA Times featured him on Sept. 29th in an
article about local volunteering (see below).
We are proud to have him on board here at LACP.
Everett has contributed in many ways, lending a hand when LA Community
Policing helped coordinate the first east side community dialogue
sponsored by United Communities to Stop Violence, the unique June
1st "Gangs and Drugs; understanding the issues" event.
And now he's even more involved as we prepare the second
dialogue, "Parenting,
Youth and Families; raising a community" being held
on October 19th.
As an emissary, he's quietly carried our LACP message of inclusion
to many a community group across the City, and expressed our goal
of seeking public safety solutions by promoting meaningful partnerships
with law enforcement.
In addition, Everett has written several thoughtful pieces for the
forum here on the website over the past several months, and we always
look forward to his contributions.
Along with fellow LACP member, Bobbie Logan, Everett just graduated
from the Community Police Academy, after completing a 10 week course.
And, as you'll see, he managed to find time to become qualified
for the Fire Department's CERT program (Community
Emergency Response Team) as well!
Congratulations, Everett ... we're so pleased you've been recognized
for all the time and effort you spend volunteering for Los Angeles.
It's recognition well deserved.
Here's the LA Times article:
L.A.
Holds Picnic to Say 'Thank You' to Volunteers
By WENDY THERMOS
TIMES STAFF WRITER
September 29, 2002
Everett Littlefield watched the devastation of the Sept.
11 terrorist attacks unfold before him on television.
He saw the smoking ruins in New York, the stricken faces
of survivors at the Pentagon, the wreckage on a field
in Pennsylvania.
"I asked myself, 'What is going to be my response to this?'
" the 67-year-old Silver Lake resident said Saturday.
Before the dust had even cleared, he headed to the Los
Angeles Fire Department to sign up as a volunteer to aid
injured people at large-scale emergencies such as earthquakes
and riots. He is now trained to do field triage as part
of a volunteer corps formed in 1987.
Littlefield, a retired set builder for UCLA's theater
arts program, was among the 2,000 volunteers and guests
enjoying an annual picnic Saturday at Lake Balboa in Encino
that was held to thank them for the countless hours they've
donated to Los Angeles.
He views his volunteer work as a call to duty, "like the
military," and said it has added a new dimension to his
retirement years.
"Like most working people, I spent my life competing with
everyone," he said. "As a volunteer, my task is to cooperate
with everyone."
There are about 25,000 city volunteers, including 11,000
-- mostly coaches -- in the Department of Recreation and
Parks alone. They include greeters at Los Angeles International
Airport, crossing guards for school children, and citizen
surveillance team members who alert police to crimes in
progress.
Picnic participants said they became volunteers for a
variety of reasons, from supporting cherished pastimes
and participating in important causes to passing the time
and making a difference in a small but important way.
Harriet Segurson loves books. She loves to run her fingers
over them, examine the "About the Author" blurbs, admire
the infinite variety of their covers. The retired Los
Angeles Unified School District teacher has been a bookworm
her whole life.
"When I retired, I knew there would be a lot of empty
space in front of me," said Segurson, 64, a West Hills
resident. So she went to the Platt branch of the city
library in Woodland Hills and the librarian eagerly "snapped
me up" before she had even filled out the required paperwork.
Watching his son play on a city-sponsored basketball team
made Kirk Ridd, 40, of Sherman Oaks start thinking that
he could make a difference, one young life at a time.
"Coaches on school teams often just put the best kids
on the floor," said Ridd, who owns a music recording studio.
"But the city's program emphasizes sportsmanship over
winning."
Ann Frontiera wanted to "give something back to society"
after getting a college education "practically tuition-free"
at UCLA. The 68-year-old San Pedro resident has been an
information desk volunteer at the Maritime Museum for
10 years.
"I tell people where the restroom is," she explained matter-of-factly.
The payoff is that she gets to meet people from all over
the world because cruise ships dock nearby. "Besides,"
she said, "if I didn't spend time volunteering, I would
just go to stores and spend money." |
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