Lynwood Rotary Meeting Update 03-26-2015
Posted by Gurdip (Honorary Member) Hari
on Mar 27, 2015
For the meeting on March 26, 2015 12pm – 1:30pm , members and guests participated in the program organized for sharing Memories of Jim Morton.
As expected, there was a large turnout for this special Rotary meeting. Some city staff came at 12 Noon and left early, to conform to their allotted lunch break. Also YouthAct students and several parents and Tila and Fernando Millan from Roosevelt ES, as planned, arrived late, due to their school schedule. In total, there were an estimated 75 persons who attended this meeting.
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Martina Rodriguez provided a stand up photo board on a tri-pod with very interesting and memorable photos of Jim Morton. She also provided a memory book which all in attendance were encouraged to sign and also to add comments about their memories of Jim Morton.
Victor Ortiz presented a slide show with more than 200 photographs of Jim Morton provided by Jamel Goodloe. The specific photos from the flash drive from Jamel were selected bwho was abley Maria Quinonez. Also special thanks are due to Illich from the MIS Department, who was able to quickly get the file with the photos organized by Maria Quinonez, which could not be opened, to open, thus making possible the photo show. While Victor was showing the photos, Joe Wang encouraged people to come up and talk about their remembrances of Jim Morton. All totaled, about 15 people present did make comments.
The total meeting experience was an appropriate way for Rotary members and other persons in the Lynwood community to come together and share their memories of Jim Morton.
It was announced that the following day, Friday, March 27, there would be a Celebration of Life Service for Jim Morton, from 6 – 9 pm, at The Greater Emmanuel Temple Church, located at 3740 East Imperial Highway, (located on the southwest corner of Imperial Highway and Bullis Road). The Pastor is Nisan Stewart.
About 75 people attended this service, most of whom did not attend the Thursday luncheon meeting. Special thanks to Tamana, daughter of Rotary President Rajen, for producing the beautiful program, which was mostly written by Martina Rodriguez, and Maria Quinonez. Also special thanks to Joe Battle IV, who was a most effective Moderator, and also thanks to Barbara Battle, who provided us most memorable comments. Finally, and most importantly, thanks to Jim Morton family member, Cherry Medina, who shared with us, numerous memories of her experiences growing up with Jim, within the family home in Wichita Falls, Texas. Like the Rotary meeting, the day before, this Celebration of Life Service was a most fitting way to pay our respects to the Jim Morton, and the great legacy he has left with the Lynwood community.
Daniel Miller and Omar Franco –
Public Relations and Community Outreach for Lynwood Rotary Club
Memories of Jim Morton
Jim Morton grew up in Wichita Falls, Texas. He grew up with nephews and nieces. It was a happy childhood. His Dad was a businessman, and some time following Jim's graduation from high school, the family moved to California, for business opportunities and his Dad purchased the motel in Lynwood, Rest Well. Jim inherited the motel and operated it until he retired.
Jim was always very active in the Lynwood community. For ten years he was active in the Lynwood Jacyees, and served in several leadership positions. He was also active in the Lynwood Chamber of Commerce, and served as president of that organization in the early nineties. He was on the Board of Directors for the Chamber of Commerce for three decades.
He was involved in helping several residents get elected to the Lynwood City Council, as well as supporting campaigns for several elected officials at the county and state government levels. In turn, he was endorsed by a variety of officials in his desire to be elected to the Lynwood City Council. He was most proud to be appointed to a vacant council position in March 2008, and subsequently was elected to a four year term from 2009 to 2013, and was Mayor in 2011-2012.
There are also other accomplishments to note. He served on the Lynwood City Planning Commission for five years and was Chairperson for three years.
Among his activities he would mention is his service in a Naval Reserve Unit, and more recently he was proud of his service on the Personnel Commission for the Lynwood Unified School District (LUSD). He was first appointed to this commission in 2002, as the Board Appointee, providing leadership to the school district community, until concluding his service in December 2011.
As for Rotary, the Lynwood Rotary Club was like a part of his family. He proudly mentioned several Rotary awards, including his numerous Lynwood Rotary perfect attendance awards. For about the last decade, he served as the Lynwood Rotary Secretary. He twice served as Club President, was Rotarian of the Year four times and was on ten occasions bestowed with the “Honor of Service Above Self” award.
Jim's city council office can be characterized as a museum in the sense that every inch of wall space was devoted to the display of his numerous awards and certificates with many photographs of Jim with community officials and leaders. Also on his wall, were several art works from the Crystal Cathedral, which he attended, while it was still open. In Lynwood, he also attended from time to time, The Greater Emmanuel Temple Church.
For his varied activities, he will be much remember by a wide range of Lynwood residents and others within the Los Angeles Metropolitan Region. As stated in the Biographical Statement of the LUSD Personnel Commission: “In sum, Mr. Morton was a dedicated citizen, amply providing his community with his support and service.”