2010 Martinez Citizen of the Year awards

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - HARRIETT BURT

She’s an ubiquitous local fixture, known as the Voice of Martinez. The lady, partial to flower prints and denim shirts, is seen emceeing at almost every civic event, from Art in the Park to parades to homecoming games. Her auctioneering skills are unparalleled, and folks adore when she calls out their ticket number for the many raffles she presides over. 

But how did Harriett Burt, who celebrated her 70th birthday this month, come to call Martinez home? 

Born and raised in El Cerrito, both of Burt’s parents started their careers as school teachers. Soon her father decided he couldn’t support a growing family on the prevailing wages and trained in the HVAC industry, working in sales and training. Eventually he became an HVAC instructor at Laney College in Oakland, “ending his work life in teaching, his first love,” said Burt. Burt had one sibling, a brother who passed away last month. A 1957 graduate of El Cerrito High School, Burt said she was not a social butterfly in her teenage years, instead investing her attention in student government, various clubs and working on the school newspaper, the El Caballero. Wanting to continue on to U.C. Berkeley, Burt squeaked by with a GPA one point lower than the admittance threshold by the sheer virtue of her extracurricular involvement, and the fact that she was a third generation Cal candidate. 

Meanwhile her parents moved to Fresno, and after two years at Cal, she returned to the family nest to pursue her teaching credentials at Fresno State. It was there that “I realized I had some ability, and had some great professors who helped guide me,” said Burt.  

When then-Martinez Junior High School Principal John Spade visited the Fresno State campus on a recruiting tour to replace the retiring Mary Gillespie, “one of the legendary teachers in Martinez,” said Burt, Spade hired Burt to try her hand at teaching in Martinez.

“In those days, I didn’t know anything about Martinez, other than it was the place you went for jury duty or to get divorced,” Burt reminisced. In September of 1962, Burt began teaching Geography to students such as Barbara Patchin. “I had a great time. I was green, but I received very good training in Fresno; and I was young and enthusiastic. I was a lot different from dignified Mary [Gillespie]; I owe her and John Spade a lot. [Spade] really saw my potential and encouraged me; he felt I had what it took to be a junior high school teacher.”

The positive influence Burt had on young Martinez scholars year after year is evidenced by the number of former students who make a point of remembering her decades later. In 2008, the Gazette did a story on a former Martinez schoolgirl who went on to become a nationally recognized scientist and author. When interviewed, the woman suddenly said, “I had a teacher in Martinez named Ms. Burt, and she was so kind. I remember her paying me the attention I needed,” and named Burt as a contributing factor to her later success.

For two years in the early 1970s, Burt took a leave of absence from the MUSD to go teach school in Australia. She had made friends in the American Field Service, and drastic changes in the Australian public education system caused a temporary teacher shortage crisis. 

“It was a wonderful experience; I was stationed 350 miles northwest of Sydney, on the edge of the outback,” said Burt. I worked [hard] for my money, but I had so much fun. Ironically, it was in Australia that I realized Martinez was home, had become my home.”

Australia was attractive to her in comparison with the tumultuous American society at the time. 

“[Bobby] Kennedy had been killed, King had been killed, I was in despair,” Burt remembered. “But after being in Australia for a while, I realized the U.S. was my home, and if it was going down, I wanted to go down with it.”

Returning to a rented room in Ruth Randal’s house, where she met the movers and shakers of Martinez, Burt continued her teaching at MJH. She said she came to a point where she “wanted to do more for kids, for teachers,” so she earned her Master’s in School Administration at St. Mary’s College in Moraga. 

She was hired as Vice Principal at Martinez Junior High in 1978. 

“That first year was really tough. I didn’t know what made me a successful teacher, so I couldn’t tell other people how to do it,” said Burt.

As time progressed, Burt came to see she “didn’t enjoy school administration; it was not the place for me.” After being introduced to a new educational theory by Lee Canter called Assertive Discipline, she called Canter up and told him she thought she could help spread the word. He told her to make some audition tapes presenting the material before a live audience, and when he heard the resulting tapes, offered her a job teaching workshops around the country.

“Assertive discipline is a structured, systematic approach designed to assist educators in running an organized, teacher-in-charge classroom environment…Lee and Marlene Canter, when consulting for school systems, found that many teachers were unable to manage the undesirable behavior that occurred in their classrooms.  The Cantors attributed this finding to a lack of training in the area of behavior management.  Based on their investigation and the foundations of assertiveness training and applied behavior analysis, they developed a common sense, easy-to-learn approach to help teachers become the captains of their classrooms and positively influence their students’ behavior,” according to Tom McIntyre, Professor of Special Education and Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Behavior Disorders at Hunter College of the City University of New York.

“During my teaching years, I thought I was just lucky that the kids behaved for me, and when they didn’t by accident, I did the right thing,” said Burt, enumerating the key components of clear rules, clear and consistent consequences to breaking those rules and positive reinforcement.

For the next 15 years, Burt presented hundreds of Canter workshops in 37 states and four Canadian provinces. Meanwhile, she had started filing in as a journalist at the Martinez News-Gazette in 1969. In the early 1980s, she became the Community Editor, because she could create her pages in advance of publication and be free to catch a plane to teach her workshops. 

In 1994, when Canter moved into Distance Learning and she “became redundant,” Burt moved into political work, for herself and others. She served on the Martinez City Council from 1992 to 1996.

Simultaneously, starting as a volunteer for Delaine Eastin’s campaign for California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Burt was offered a staff job and quickly rose to managerial positions in Eastin’s office. Burt also served as Deputy Chief of Staff for State Assemblyman Johan Klehs and Loretta Lynch when she became president of the Public Utilities Commission. 

“That’s when the energy crisis, Enron and all that, happened, and it was the most exciting time of my life,” said Burt. “My job was to keep Lynch’s office running, and it was amazing.”

Burt retired as the Public Advisor for the Public Utilities Commission in Dec. of 2005. “I’m really proud of the work we did there; we made the Commission more accessible to consumers.”

In addition to her constantly crammed work life, Burt found time to volunteer for a long list of Martinez organizations, clubs and non-profits: Campfire Girls, the Boys and Girls Club, the Soroptomists, AAUW, Martinez Arts Association, the Martinez Lioness Club, the Martinez Historical Society, the UC Cooperative’s Master Gardner program and the Martinez Kiwanis.

“I decided early on that if I didn’t have a family, I would take all that time and energy [customarily invested in kids] and give it to the community,” said Burt. And that is exactly what she has done for almost five decades in Martinez, her adopted home. “The smartest thing I ever did was decide to stay here.”

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MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD -MIKE DUFFEY

It is primarily for his fierce dedication to and leadership of the Martinez Sea Scout Sea Witch troop that Duffey is recognized this year as Martinez Man of the Year.

Born in Grass Valley, CA and mostly raised in Concord, Duffey’s mother was a homemaker and his father first worked in a foundry, and then switched careers to that as an auto mechanic, eventually retiring from Walnut Creek Toyota. Duffey, 52, graduated from Concord High School and went straight to work, following in his dad’s footsteps in auto mechanics. Over the years, his mechanical skills focused on the marine environment and today he does freelance work fixing and maintaining his client’s boats, as well as working with a tour boat company in Suisun City.

He was a Sea Scout himself, entering the program at age 14, and continued on as a leader once he ‘aged out’ from being an active crewmember. For several years Duffey skippered the SSS Cormorant in Pittsburg, then came to Martinez to skipper the SSS Albatross for 15 years. When former SSS Sea Witch skipper Marv Haney retired, he asked Duffey to take over the helm. Duffey is certified through the Sea Scouts Council.

“Safety always,” said Duffey when asked what’s foremost in his mind when teaching his band of scouts. “Then independence, leadership and advancement. Each one needs to learn how to be a leader.” Under Duffey’s calm, unflappable guidance, the Martinez Sea Scouts learn marine engine mechanics, boat maintenance, repair, electrical work, welding, marine plumbing, knot tying, navigation (using both electronic and paper charts) and galley cooking. The Scouts have embarked on adventures to Redwood City, up the American River from Sacramento and Stockton. In 2005, the troop motored under the Golden Gate Bridge and took a left, manning a 133 foot ex-Coast Guard buoy tender to Morrow Bay and back for a two-week tour.

He helps the scouts achieve increasingly difficult benchmarks, culminating in quartermaster status, which is “equivalent to the Boy Scouts’ Eagle badge, with marine stuff thrown in,” said Duffey. 

Duffey has lived aboard his 1965, 46 foot classic Chris-Craft boat at the Martinez Marina for the past six years. He has three daughters aged 27, 25 and 16; the youngest lives with her mother in San Leandro. Both of his older daughters participated in the Sea Scout program as teenagers and now one is a flight deck operator on a U.S. Navy ship currently stationed in Washington State, and the other is a Navy diesel mechanic in Norfolk, Virginia.

“So many of our kids have graduated from the program and gone on to join the Coast Guard and Navy,” said Duffey. “I hope my daughters will be career Navy ladies.”

WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD - KAREN NILSEN

Karen Nilsen has been in Martinez for the better part of her 45 years, save a five year stint in Suisun. 

“It wasn’t Martinez,” said Nilsen. “We decided to come back.”

Nilsen loves the small community and the investment that long-time residents are willing to put back into their community. In fact, she comes from a long line of active citizens. Her uncle was the mayor of Martinez in 1976. 

“Everybody in town is kind of family,” said Nilsen. “It just feels good.”

Now Nilsen is working to instill the same sense of responsibility for her children. Her two sons are fourth generation Alhambra High School students. And when mom is signed up for community service, so are they, however reluctantly.

“I try to lead by example,” said Nilsen. “I had a really strong upbringing. I try to set a good example for my kids.”

Nilsen has been active in the Alhambra Boosters Club for five years now. She served as vice-president for two years and has served as president for the past three. There is an election coming up shortly, and Nilsen hopes to pass the torch. 

“Ideally, I would like to mentor someone for the president role, but if that doesn’t happen, I’ll do it again,” said Nilsen.

Either way, she plans to stay involved with the Boosters Club. The club has been working hard to keep sports going in Martinez. Half of the athletic trainer’s salary is provided by the Boosters Club. They also provide four scholarships to Alhambra High School seniors. Two boys and two girls will receive $2,500 each in scholarships, provided they have played two sports in their senior year and have the highest grade point averages of the applicants. Despite the down economy, the club has actually been raising more money this year than in previous years, said Nilsen. 

In addition to her work with the Boosters Club, Nilsen has been working on the Alhambra Grad Night Committee for seven years. She is currently the co-chair of design and construction for the dinner/dance auction, which is the annual fundraiser for Grad Night – a safe and sober event for seniors. 

The group also provides $15,000 per year in scholarships to deserving students. Interested applicants must complete community service hours and write an essay on community service. 

In the same seven years, Nilsen has served as the league coordinator for the Martinez Youth Baseball and Softball Organization. And when she’s not doing that, she volunteers for the Martinez Road Race. It’s no wonder that Nilsen was chosen by the Chamber of Commerce as this year’s Woman of the Year. Nilsen was surprised to hear the news on Monday. “I’ve never received anything like this before.”

Nilsen has been more and more involved in this past year, after she was let go at Bank of America, where she worked for 24 years, due to the down economy. 

“They’re [her family] always there to support me.”

TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD -MARISA RANGEL

Marisa Rangel embodies the City of Martinez. She has lived in the city her whole life, growing up just a block from the school where she now teaches. Her former kindergarten teacher at John Swett Elementary now teaches alongside her. 

“I have a picture of me and Patty Gallagher [her kindergarten teacher] from my first day of school that I brought in,” said Rangel. 

Rangel was hired just one week before school started this year, after completing her credential program at St. Mary’s College.  “My dream was to work in Martinez,” said Rangel. “That dream came true, and I even work at John Swett.”

Rangel is an especially engaged teacher. Her students never know what costume she will be wearing when she arrives. Rangel enters the classroom attired in a different get-up for every theme. When the kids were learning their colors, she wore different brightly-colored wigs. During career week, she donned a distinct uniform for each type of worker. 

“I take my work home with me,” said Rangel. “I made a huge space shuttle and brought it in for the class [when talking about astronauts]. I’ll do anything to spark their interest.”

Rangel feels that it’s of the utmost importance to create life-long learners early. And what better way to do that than by teaching kindergarten. 

“I’m not afraid to hug them and tell them I love them,” said Rangel. “I don’t get embarrassed easily, and I’m not afraid to make a fool out of myself to get them excited.”

Ms. Rangel feels very fortunate to have so much support her first year teaching. “I have a strong, strong parent support group,” said Rangel. “And I have an amazing class.”

Not only have the parents of her students been active in aiding the class, but Rangel’s family and fiancé have chipped in to help the students. Anthony Lastrico, who she plans to marry in August, has used his position as district manager of Kinder’s to fundraise for her school. 

When Rangel was student teaching in Concord just two years prior, she found that her fourth grade students didn’t have the money to attend a summer camp. Her family helped raise $300 for the kids, and Lastrico raised another $1500 at Kinder’s. 

“I have such strong family support,” said Rangel. “My parents have always backed me.”

Twenty-seven year old Marisa Rangel found out on Monday night that she would be receiving the Teacher of the Year award from the Martinez Chamber of Commerce at their annual dinner. 

The recognition was a bittersweet sentiment, arriving just weeks after she received a pink slip from the District due to budget cut backs. But that won’t stop Rangel from maintaining her dream. She wouldn’t even think about it.

“This is what I was put on this earth to do,” said Rangel. “I’m looking at everything. If it comes down to it, even substitute teaching.”

Last year, some of the pink slips were rescinded when the District received unexpected funds, but Rangel hasn’t heard any of that talk this year.

“I would love to be back,” said Rangel. “I feel so much a part of Martinez.”

YOUNG WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD - LINDSEY METZGER

Alhambra High School senior Lindsey Metzger, 17, was nominated for Young Woman of the Year by, among others, AHS principal Sue Mirkovich. “Whether in the classroom, at the pool or sitting on various committees, Lindsey has always been dependable, respectful, level-headed and competent. She possesses high moral principles and a sense of maturity that separates her from the rest of her peers. She exemplifies the meaning of a scholar athlete,” Mirkovich said. 

Metzger maintains a 3.76 GPA while involved full-time on the swim team and water polo teams, as well as serving on the school’s Site Council and the student representative to the District’s Board of Education. She is slated to attend University of Redlands next year. “The first words that come to my mind when describing Lindsey are bright, enthusiastic, motivated and dedicated. She is a model example of a well-rounded student as can be evidenced by her success in the classroom, leadership and swimming,” said Mirkovich. AHS Student Activities Director Marianne Griffin said about Metzger, “she moves with grace, dignity and a sparkle in her eye towards her school and community.”

With 740 friends linked to her Facebook page, Metzger is one of those students who befriends members of all cliques and gets along with everybody. 

In 2009, Metzger received Honorable Mention for All-DFAL Water Polo, and is lettered in Varsity Swimming, Water Polo and as a winning member of the Alhambra Mock Trial Team. She also helped the Alhambra Lady Bulldogs to the North Coast Section Water Polo Playoffs in each of four seasons from 2006-09. 

YOUNG MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD - ZACH CONIGLIO

At 18 years of age and with only four years in Martinez, Zach Coniglio was named the Martinez Young Man of the Year. 

The senior at Alhambra High School is a three-sport athlete. At 6’ 3”, Coniglio is known as “the beast” on campus. He has already been awarded All-league for basketball and football this year and is a shoo-in for All-league with the track team. Coniglio competes in the shot put and discus events and went to state for discus last year. 

“I’m the best in the league at discus right now,” said Coniglio.

In 2009 and 2010, Coniglio was ranked in North Coast Section and State for shot put and discus. In ’09, he received First-Team All-DFAL Football for defense and Second-Team All-DFAL Football for offense. He also received an honorable mention All-DFAL for basketball in 2009.  

This weekend, he used his track talents, volunteering to help coach the Special Olympic team in their practice at Alhambra High School. 

Since moving from Concord, Coniglio has immersed himself in his local community. He ran the 5k for the Martinez Run for Education as well as working the event. 

For the past four years, Coniglio has been a main organizer for the Christmas for Everyone program, which is put on in the gym of his church, New Hope International. For the Christmas Eve set-up, Coniglio helps bring in toys for kids and clothes for adults, which needy families can access. 

At the First Baptist Church in Martinez, he worked with his basketball team to provide canned food for their annual drive to help the underserved. 

First and foremost, Coniglio considers himself a family guy. “My sister is just starting high school,” said Coniglio. “I go to her classes to talk to her teachers about how she’s doing regularly.” 

And his family has grown. “I have a lot of good relationships with my friends at Alhambra. Some I would consider brothers now.”

He was excited to hear that he was even nominated early on, but he thinks his mom is even more excited. “She knows that it’s a very prestigious award.”

Asked why he received the award, Coniglio speculate, “My teachers chose me because I’m very respectful toward them, and I always have a good attitude.”

The award is likely to help Coniglio in his quest for a college scholarship. He will be meeting with the Sacramento State track and field coach, where he has already applied. The coach wants to talk with Coniglio about a possible scholarship. He also received a letter of interest from Southern Oregon University but has only applied to three state schools – Sacramento, San Francisco and San Diego. 

If he gets the scholarship to Sacramento State, Coniglio hopes to walk on the football team. Coniglio plays defensive end, offensive guard and long snapper. 

SERVICE WITHOUT BORDERS AWARD - LEANNE PETERSON

For the Martinez Chamber of Commerce, honoring residents who give back to their community has been an important tradition, but residential status doesn’t belong to everyone that pours themselves into the city. That’s why the Chamber came forward with the Service without Borders award, which recognizes those honorary members of the community that, while they contribute magnanimously to the city, do not reside within its perimeters. 

This year that award was given to Leanne Peterson of Concord. Peterson became connected to the City back in 2001, when she began working for First Night Martinez, an alcohol-free New Year’s Eve celebration, which ran until 2008. 

That was it for Peterson; she fell in love with Downtown Martinez and the community. She subsequently became involved in Kiwanis, a service club in town that raises money for youth programs. Peterson  served as a board member for two years with the club. 

Kiwanis provides scholarships for Alhambra High School students. They’ve also purchased uniforms for the band as well as pitching in for the la crosse and football teams. 

“Different organizations will ask for support,” said Peterson. “It has to be local and mostly has to have a youth component.”

The Kiwanis have various ways of bringing funds for their charitable giving. Peterson focuses mainly on two of them. Come election time, citizens can apply to work the polling stations for pay. Kiwanis sends four or five members to each station, and when the checks come, they donate them to the club. She also works to sell See’s Candy around Christmas time each year. The money made on the sales is added to the pot to fund the various youth programs of Martinez.

Her affiliation in the Kiwanis put her in with a representative from the Shell refinery, who asked her to become involved in the Shell Martinez Education Foundation’s Run for Education. The 5k run-walk takes place every year in October. Last year, the run provided over $30,000 for Martinez schools, according to Peterson. 

This will be Peterson’s fourth year with MEF. She sits on a committee for the event and does some of their graphic design. On the day of the event, she fills in the gaps, working booths and helping coordinate. 

Peterson has been the executive director at Main Street Martinez, a downtown business, non-profit organization that works toward revitalization, since 2007. The organization puts on events, such as the Farmer’s Market, Wine Strolls and, coming this May, the Peddler’s Fair.

The events are the part of the job that Peterson most likes. “I also like all of the people I get to work and interact with daily,” said Peterson. 

She is known to work lots of extra hours for the organization, coming into town nights and weekends for meetings and projects. Fortunately, Leanne has the support of her husband of 21 years, who pitches in, setting up for events and manning booths. 

“I like that it’s a small community here; everybody knows each other,” said Peterson. “Martinez has its own unique charm, and it has a lot of potential.”  

CHARLES LAIRD AWARD - PASTOR TERRY REILLEY

For the past 18 years, Pastor Reilley has shepherded the congregation at Creekside Church at 444 Fig Tree Lane. Born in Oregon, Reilley attended the Eugene Bible College and Chapman University, earning a Bachelor’s in Pastoral Studies and Language, he told the Gazette this week. As a young graduate, he began working in youth ministry until he switched to teaching public school – he taught history at the junior high level. In 1981, he was contacted by Creekside administrators, who requested he come and ‘try out,’ and the partnership was a match. Married for 33 years to wife Trina, the couple have two sons aged 27 and 25. 

“Terry stresses the importance of outreach and going beyond ourselves to help others,” wrote one of his congregation members in a nomination letter for Reilley. “Pastor Terry is always reaching out to the community to help in any way he can.”

“I stand on the shoulders of about 600 people,” said Reilley. “I get to be the recipient, but it’s the church congregation that deserves the reward, they are an incredible group of people that serve the community.” Reilley listed fundraising “thousands of dollars,” for the Martinez Unified School District and other churches among Creekside’s good deeds, as well as the Christmas and Thanksgiving dinner packages donated to local families at the holidays that come complete with age-appropriate wrapped gifts, Christmas trees, and a meal with all the trimmings. “We do it anonymously, the school district provides the names and addresses of local families that may need extra help during the season,” said Reilley. “We have a heart and vision for our community. One of the questions we ask ourselves is would Creekside Church be missed if we were not here? We set our sights to be part of and reach out to our community.”

Reilley quoted Mother Theresa as part of Creekside’s motto, “you can do no great things, only small things with great love.”

“That’s part of the underpinning of what we try to do, we want to show that we care.”