Manager Becomes Lawyer

Paramount City Manager William A. Holt has been sworn in as an attorney after passing the State Bar of California exam. Holt, who has been city manager since 1980, says he intends to remain as the city’s chief administrator. He said he was satisfying a lifelong dream to become a lawyer. He passed the state exam in July after graduating from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles. Holt, 44, previously worked as assistant city manager and finance director of La Mirada.

Public Works Chief Resigns

Norwalk Director of Public Works Ken Montgomery has resigned effective Jan. 21 to take a similar job with the City of Redondo Beach. Montgomery has been employed by Norwalk since 1969, starting as a junior civil engineer and working up through City Hall ranks to become the city engineer and public works department head. His job in Redondo Beach starts Jan. 25.

City Planner Changes Jobs

David A. Lepo has become assistant planner for the City of Signal Hill. He had held a similar job in Bellflower until his resignation last month. Lepo, 35, has a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Kent State University.

Academic Decathlon Prizes

Students from each of the five comprehensive high schools in the Whittier Union High School District shared in the honors at the annual Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon awards banquet at the Quiet Cannon restaurant in Montebello. Joseph Lin of California High won third-place awards in essay and math and was his school’s top-scoring student in a series of 10 separate examinations. Other top-scoring students and their schools are Stephanie Sheldon, La Serna; Madhangi Jayaraman, Pioneer; Josephine Navarro, Santa Fe; and Sean Ekstrand, Whittier High.

3 Sportsmanship Awardees

Three youths have won top sportsmanship awards in the City of Commerce aquatic program. They are Esteban Garcia and Claudia Lopez for water polo, and Ruth Monge for swimming. The awards, judged on attitude, attendance and most improved performance, included $25 gift certificates and a spot on the Aquatic Booster Club’s perpetual trophy. Commerce youth swimming teams finished their season by winning first place in five of six divisions at the Southern Pacific Water Polo League championships held in Anaheim.

Teacher on National Panel

Gene Tobias, professor of physiology at Los Angeles College of Chiropractic in Whittier, has been appointed to the Council on Chiropractic Education’s task force on admissions. Tobias is one of five committee members chosen from chiropractic colleges nationwide to review admissions standards during the council’s annual meeting later this month.

County Employee of Month

Sarah Morrison, a clinical licensed vocational nurse at the Long Beach Comprehensive Health Center, was honored by the Board of Supervisors as December county employee of the month. She has been a county employee 16 years and now works in the health center’s adult walk-in and work-test clinics. The award was presented by supervisors Chairman Deane Dana.