Anaheim residents, workers finalists for tourism honors

Several Anaheim residents and workers were finalists in this year's Service Excellence Awards, given by the Orange County Tourism Council. Three Anaheim residents are included among the finalists: Aloha Botelho, an employee in the Anaheim Police Department's visitor services, is a finalist in the visitor and convention bureau category. Nathan Gebhard and Vicki Pasquale both work for the Disneyland Resort. Gebhard is a finalist in the attractions category and Pasquale in the restaurant category. Christina Reidenbaugh of the Disneyland Resort and Jill Woolem of the Anaheim Marriott both are finalists in the accommodations category. Martha Smith, also of the Disneyland Resort, is a finalist in the attractions category. Patricia Emmerson and Ricardo Rosales, both of the Disneyland Resort, are finalists in the restaurant category. Shane Han of the Anaheim Marriott's Mile-Hi Parking is a finalist in the transOTT Reportation category. COLONY MIL, K a finalist in the visitor and convention bureau category for work at the Anaheim Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau. The winners will be announced at a ceremony April 2. Veronica Hinojosa and Gil Lopez, students in the Anaheim Union High School District, both received "Every Student Succeeding" awards from the Orange County region of the Association of California School Administrators for overcoming personal and physical obstacles to succeed in school. Elaine Inoue of Acaciawood College Preparatory Academy and Vickey K. Mendez of Anaheim High School both placed in Chapman University's fourth annual Holocaust Writing Contest for their poetry. Inoue's "Stirring the conscience to love" took first place in the high school category and garnered her a $500 prize. Mendez' poem, "The persuasion," took second place in the same category. She won a $250 prize. Rhenee Blanco, Colleen Coyne, Rosemary Schulmeister and ieannie Soy were recently certified as volunteer literacy tutors for READ/Orange County. The four Anaheim residents completed a 23-hour training course to help the 155 adult literacy students in the program. Brian Crowder, a 17-year-old senior at Savanna High School, was recently named an Eagle Scout. Crowder, a varsity soccer and volleyball player, will attend Fullerton College in the fall. Shannon Cox of Anaheim recently completed training as a Court Appointed Special Advocate. CASA is a nonprofit group aimed at providing advocacy support for abused children. Project Tomorrow, an Anaheim-based nonprofit group that focuses on improving science education in Orange County's K-12 schools, recently named its new board of directors. New members are Bruce Andrews, president and chief executive officer of Nationwide Properties, Inc., Cindy Dietz, manager of community relations for Rockwell Collins, Robert E. Palmer, partner at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Gary Rutherford, superintendent of the Huntington Beach City School District, Gretchen Valentine, partner at Ashlock & Trimarche, Inc. and David Yasokochi, partner at KPMG, Inc. Donna Hatchett, director of public affairs for the North Orange County Community College District, received the D. Richard Petrizzo Career Achievement Award from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations this month. A 16-year NOCCCD employee, Hatchett was recognized for her leadership and contributions to the field. The Hilton Anaheim's Pavia restaurant was presented with a Golden Sceptre award by the Southern California Restaurant Writers Association on Feb. 23. The Anaheim White House was also honored in the Italian category. Brian Bishop, a student at Santa Ana College, this month starred in that school's production of "Tony 'n Tina's Wedding," an interactive dinner theater production. The Anaheim resident performed in four shows.