People : A Day for a Good Neighbor

It’s not often that simply being a good neighbor wins the attention of city officials. But James P. Stein, an 84-year-old retired flooring company employee, is being honored for that with a day all his own in Inglewood.

In ceremonies planned for Saturday at his home on East 64th Place, Stein, a 50-year resident, was to be handed a proclamation signed by the mayor and city council designating June 15 as James P. Stein Day. The proclamation came after neighbors wrote the city and said that Stein has spent the last five decades being the best neighbor anyone could possibly want.

“He has touched all of our lives on a daily basis, and he is the best neighborhood watcher any of us could hope for,” said Anne MacIntyre, who lives next door to Stein and led the effort to get a day named after him. “He has helped all of us at one time or another in a very personal way.”

Besides a proclamation and party, Stein, whose good deeds over the years have ranged from dog-sitting to popping popcorn on Sundays and delivering it to his neighbors, was due for a surprise. His neighbors planned to give his home a fresh coat of paint.

Kenneth T. Ono was named young man of the year by the Redondo Beach Jaycees. Ono, chief executive officer of South Bay Hospital, initiated the Redondo Beach Health Fair and arranged lectures on health care. He is also responsible for implementing several outreach programs on proper health care habits.

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