The Los Alamitos Museum Association has selected two honorees for the Honored Citizen Award. The first honoree is Dr. William C. Poe, V, who was born in Long Beach and raised in Los Alamitos. The second honoree is Mary Holzgang.
Poe decided early in life that he would be a Doctor of Dental Surgery.
All his life Poe has been involved in a myriad assortment of sports activities. Reflecting this desire, Poe was Captain of the football team at both Pine Jr. High School and Los Alamitos High School, where he graduated with honors.
Remaining steadfast in his quest for a doctorate, Poe earned his DDS degree from the University of Southern California. Continuing his education, he recently received his Fellowship from the prestigious Las Vegas Dental Institute, the world’s premier post-graduate dental teaching center.
Staying close to home, Poe is a charter member of the Los Alamitos Football Foundation, as well as being past president of the Los Alamitos Rotary and the Los Alamitos Youth Center.
He has always been a member of the local Chamber of Commerce and became Principal for a day.
He has been honored as Chamber of Commerce’s Los Alamitos Man of the Year, 1998. He is presently President of the St. Hedwig Pony Baseball League. Los Alamitos is fortunate in having Dr. Poe in their midst.
The Museum’s second honoree Mary Holzgang was born in Los Angeles and moved around extensively during her formative years.
Mary graduated from Dorsey High school, went on to spend a year at UC Berkeley and finished college at UCLA.
Mary moved to Los Alamitos with her family in 1971 and like most parents joined the LAAYSO, PTA, Girl Scouts and Campfire Girls. Community involvement has always been a priority in her life. Eventually, Mary was elected as a member of the Los Alamitos Unified School Board, a responsibility she thoroughly enjoyed for nine years.
She, too, as well as Dr. Poe, was a member of the Los Alamitos Youth Center and clearly remembers Dr. Poe calling out bingo numbers at the Youth Center. In 1997, she received her Ham Radio License and volunteers monthly at the Queen Mary’s Wireless Radio Room. She is also active with the Senior Ministries at Good Shepherd Church in Los Alamitos.
Mary’s most enjoyable and successful volunteer activity was the Front Porch Project for the Los Alamitos/Rossmoor Library.
As President of the Friends of the Library, Mary and friends were able to raise funds to landscape the front of the library. Mary also helps set up for the Outdoor Book Sales held every other month.
She is most prolific in her volunteerism and assuredly keeps the momentum alive.
The Honored Citizen event will be held at the Los Alamitos Museum on Sunday, Jan. 24 at 2 p.m. The Museum is located at 11062 Los Alamitos Boulevard in Los Alamitos.
For more information, please call 562-431-8836 or call 562-430-5721.
