Dr. William Poe V, is a dentist who believes, “it takes a village” to maintain a strong community and he holds that effort close to his heart.

He said he has a very strong sense of home and does everything he can every day to never let his family, his patients nor the community down; at his core, he says what motivates him is his sense of, “Simply doing what is right in life and always trying and striving to be your best.”

Poe is a charter member of the Los Alamitos Football Foundation and has been making mouthpieces for high school student athletes. Through the Football Foundation, Poe has been an integral part of their successful scholarship program, supporting multiple students each year in meeting their college goals.

He’s a long-time member of the Rotary Club of Los Alamitos, where he currently holds the position of president and he served as president of the Los Alamitos Youth Center Board of Directors and has become known as quite the Bingo caller at their Saturday night games.

The Los Alamitos Chamber of Commerce honored Poe as the Chamber’s Man of the Year in 1998, having been a long-time member.

Dr. Poe coached his son’s Friday Night Football team for 10 years and was President and Coach of the Saint Hedwig Pony Baseball League and he also managed his daughter’s Indian Princess’ group of the YMCA.

Born in Long Beach and raised in Los Alamitos, Poe’s family has been in the area since the late 1890s. From a young age, he was an active participant in baseball, basketball and football youth programs and was also a quarterback and captain of the foot ball team at Los Alamitos High School, where he graduated with honors.

After High school, he earned his Associate in Science degree at Cypress College and to this day, he says he continues to be a proud alum.

And while attending Cypress College, he also volunteered with the Orange County Fire Department.

After attending Cypress College, he received his Bachelor of Science degree from UCLA and during his time at UCLA he continued his community involvement as the Vice President of Sigma Chi National Fraternity as well as serving as a peer health counselor and a charter member of the UCLA Alcohol Education Awareness Committee.

Dr. Poe said he attributes much of his business acumen to his early days with the Sigma Chi Fraternity through all of the activities he was involved with there.

From UCLA, Poe moved to USC where he enrolled in the School of Dentistry and went on to earn his DDS. While in dental school, he was a member of the Delta Sigma Dental Fraternity and served as class treasurer.

Dr. Poe opened his office in Los Alamitos in 1989 where he continues to maintain a busy schedule serving his patients; he is a member of professional organizations such as the American Dental Association, the California Dental Association, the Harbor Dental Society, the America Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and the International College of Cranio-Mandibular Orthopedics.

Even after he had earned his DDS degree, he went on to obtain Masterships in both orthodontics and craniomandibular orthopedics and recently earned the State of Fellow from the prestigious Las Vegas Dental Institute, which less than 2-percent of all dentists in the U.S. have attended.

George O’Hara named Cypress Citizen of the Year

George O’Hara is the second member of his family to be selected as the City of Cypress’ “Citizen of the Year,” as his father, Jim O’Hara, was also named Citizen of the Year in 1980.

During the Cypress Americana event Saturday evening at the Disneyland Hotel, a video of each recipient told of their life, accomplishments and community service. O’Hara said that his parents and family have been a great influence on his desire to be an integral part of the community and to give back. “I feel grateful for the life that I have lived and for my parents; my family and my wife, Martha,” he said.

Moving to Cypress in 1965, he lives a quarter of a mile from where he grew up and fondly remembers that there were more cows at that time, than people in Cypress and today, he enjoys riding his bicycle through the City to see all of the positive changes that have taken place, including the lack of cow smells.

O’Hara said his involvement in the Catholic Church has also shaped his sense of community and desire to support Catholic organizations, continuing the work and example set b his parents as he supports the Union of Presentation Sisters, an International Catholic Congregation of Women, , while staying involved as a senior member of the committee for their retirement benefits event that rotates annually amongst Orange County Parishes where the Sisters teach.

In his younger years, O’Hara said he fondly remembers playing on a Club Rugby team at Cypress College, with that field being located where the softball field is currently today.

He said though he earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Irvine, he is eternally grateful to Cypress College for getting him through physics.

O’Hara is well-known for his active participation in Cypress events and organizations and has the positive attitude of, “Get involved and stick with it.” He believes that being part of the community is a natural extension of someone in local business and credits that belief to his parent’s influence.

He has been involved with the Cypress Chamber of Commerce and was honored as the Chamber Man of the Year and currently serves as a board member of the Chamber as well as the Cypress College Foundation, where he served as president for a term.

He’s also active with the St. Irenaeus Parish, including the Baptism Preparation Ministry, the Knights of Columbus and the Fiesta Committee. and has served on the County of Orange Oversight Board to the City of Cypress Redevelopment Successor Agency.

Noella Lew is La Palma Americana honoree

Noella Lew’s outstanding service within the community of La Palma has not gone unnoticed, as The West Orange County Women’s Conference honored her as Woman of the Year for the City in 2018 because of her exceptional community service and leadership, and she also received the California Parks and Recreation Service Merit Award; recently, she and her husband of 46-years, Dickson, received the Dedicated Volunteer Service Award from the La Palma Parks and Recreation.

And now, in 2020, Lew has been honored as the “Citizen of the Year” for the City of La Palma during the 45th annual Americana Awards at the Disneyland Hotel over the weekend.

While working for General Mills, where she was a business management representative, Lew was recognized as the National Sales Representative and also earned the Superstar Award during her 37-year working career there.

The Lew’s two children attended John F. Kennedy High School, where when her son was in Water Polo, she became involved with the Water Polo Boosters and again when her daughter was in Cheer, she was active with the Cheer Boosters and even served as president of that organization.

“At Kennedy, I would volunteer on Package Stuffing and Registration days and would help with the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon,” Lew said. At Kennedy High School, she received the PTSA Commitment to Excellence Award for her outstanding service.

Lew has served as a board member for Lupus International and as an advocate for those with the disease. She said this cause is especially important to her, as she too was diagnosed with lupus 25-years ago. She has organized many fundraising events for the Lupus organization, including the Bobby Hatfield Classic Golf Tournament, which she has chaired for more than 18 years and for her outstanding service to Lupus International, she received the organization’s Special Volunteer Recognition Award.

The Lew’s have also worked with the Green Band Association as a host family for four years, which helps with housing and hosting band members from Japan when they come to march in the Rose Parade each year along with the JFK High School band. “It has been a rewarding experience for the whole family,” she said.

Photos by Loreen Berlin