Foothills Sentry March 2022

Foothills Sentry Page 10 March 2022 Bill Nelson 1938-2022 Former Villa Park Mayor Bill Nelson passed on Jan. 14, and his wife Eula passed six days later, on Jan. 20. Bill and Eula are sur- vived by their four children, Kim, Tony and Brandon Nelson, and Phyllis Blue. Bill was born in 1938 in Pu- laski, Tennessee, infamous as the site where the Ku Klux Klan was organized, clearly a tough place for Bill to start life. Bill’s life-long commitment to public service began when he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1958. Upon honorable discharge in 1982, Bill completed his B.A. in economics at CSU, Dominguez Hills, and his MBA at USC. Bill worked for more than 25 years as a finance professional with ARCO and the Southern Califor- nia Gas Company. The Nelson family resided at their Villa Park home on Charter for nearly 40 years. During this time, they were involved in many civic and community activities. Bill served as a member of the 2002-03 Orange County Grand Jury, and then as a director of the Grand Jurors Association of Or- ange County for six years. Rec- ognizing Bill’s financial exper- tise, the Villa Park City Council appointed Bill to the city’s Invest- ment Advisory Committee. In 2003, Bill was appointed to the Orange County Cemetery District by Supervisor Bill Camp- bell, an appointment that contin- ued to his passing. As a trustee, Bill championed the development of the Gypsum Canyon Cemetery and, more recently, the Orange County Veterans Cemetery, in cooperation with Supervisor Don Wagner. Bill also became a mem- ber of the California Special Dis- tricts Association and was elected president in 2016. Bill served a member of the Villa Park Community Services Foundation where he was in- volved in the city’s 50th anniver- sary and gala. In 2014, he placed first in a field of six candidates for Villa Park City Council and served as mayor in 2017. Those who served with Bill valued his intelligence, wisdom and expe- rience and regularly sought his opinions and insights. Following retirement as a man- ager for Pacific Bell, Eula earned her degree and a certificate to teach disadvantaged students in Compton for several years. Eula also served on the Orange County Grand Jury. In addition, she vol- unteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). CASA provides a powerful voice and a meaningful connection for children who have experienced abuse, neglect and abandonment. Many elected representatives throughout California knew and admired the Nelsons for their public service. They were Villa Park’s “Public Service Power Couple.” On Jan. 25, Supervisor Don Wagner closed the Board of Supervisors meeting in Bill’s memory. SCC tees up for charity golf tournament Santiago Canyon College (SCC) is teeing up for its annual charity golf tournament and wel- comes donations, competitors, spectators and sponsors for the event. SCC will host the 21st Annual “Changing Students’ Lives” Golf Tournament at Strawberry Farms Golf Club in Irvine on Friday, March 18. A portion of the pro- ceeds will benefit Project RISE, a college initiative to support formerly incarcerated students to reach their academic and career goals. The Seattle Seahawks’ former lineman, Dave DesRochers, will serve as the master of ceremonies. The event will kick off at 10:30 a.m., with food and cocktails. Registration for individual play- ers is $250; foursomes are $1,000; tickets to attend the awards recep- tion only are $50. Beginning at 12:15 p.m., participants can take their shot at a putting contest and the $5,000 Mega Putt challenge. A shotgun start will trigger the full tournament at 12:30 p.m., and conclude with the $100,000 shootout and cocktails at 5:45 p.m. An awards ceremony and re- ception will be held following the event at 6 p.m. Those interested in participat- ing or sponsoring the event can visit sccollegefoundation.org/ golftournament. Canyon High showcased The Canyon High School Showcase, held Feb. 2, introduced its academic programs, sports activities and career education pathways to new students and the community. The school’s new Science Center, featuring spacious labs, classrooms and cutting-edge technology tools for teaching and learning, was the main attraction at the event. Matt Derham, biology and phys- ics teacher, points out a useful reference point for his students – a real human skeleton. This one, he emphasizes, is not a repro- duction, but the real thing. The skeleton was already part of the biology department when he be- gan teaching there, so Derham doesn’t know where it came from, or how long it’s been on campus. The students think it’s “cool”, he says. Chance Griffith, left, sits in the cockpit of a flight simulator with his sis- ter Mackenzie. Chance successfully piloted the plane over the Pacific Ocean to Long Beach, where he landed without a hitch. Math teacher Lindsay Blanco taught in a portable classroom for nine years, and couldn’t wait to move into the new facility. She moved everything in over a weekend, and was ready to welcome students the first day the Science Center opened. Photos by Tony Richards Eula Nelson 1942-2022