Page 8 October 23, 2014 TORRANCE TRIBUNE future. Frank told me, “We believe the city is on the right path. The city of Torrance is positioned, financially in the next five years to do really well – what they do with the money is the question mark. You can only spend what you take in and that is what we have to be concerned about. But if the mall gets completed… and a number of other things fall into place financially, the city should be in great shape. I want to make sure as a resident that things go that way.” Good to know! It makes sense that Frank and Cindy would be interested in city politics as residents of the city of Torrance. After all, it was their involvement with their community which led to their participation in countless committees, Frank becoming a councilman and then mayor, and Cindy and Frank both leading the way with the Students and Government Day. “We put in a lot of time and energy these last 14 years,” said Cindy. Right now, Cindy is chairing the Student’s in Government Day, which will take place on May 5, 2015, where all 8th graders are invited to write an essay on the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. (The 26th Amendment grants U.S. citizens 18 years of age or older the right to vote.) The essays are judged and the winners selected will spend a day with the city officials. It is an amazing program that opens up the doors of city hall to youngsters and allows them to participate in what goes on at the city government level. The question for the essay this year is: “What can you do now and in the next few years until you are 18 to prepare yourself to be a well-informed voter and how will this preparation help your decision-making?” Interested? All Torrance 8th graders are invited to write an essay. Check out the district website! “Remember the essays are not judged on grammar – but on content,” said Frank. Then I asked Tony Scotto, Frank and Cindy’s son, who happened to be working diligently at one end of the office as I spoke with his parents, if he saw his parents more now that his dad was out of political office. Tony smiled and said, “Not really.” But I did find out Tony and Frank now ‘tag-team coach’ the Huskies, a soccer team that includes Tony’s 8 year old daughter, Abigail. Tony said the little girls have fun. I asked Tony if his dad would have coached the soccer team with him if he was still mayor and Tony said, “Probably.” That is just the way he is. Frank has coached for nearly 35 years so it’s second nature to him. From what I could tell, the Scottos keep very busy by supporting the arts in all mediums, running their businesses, enjoying their family, participating in their community projects and committees, and enjoying friends. The Katy Geissert Award couldn’t go to a more deserving couple who love their community and each other. Congratulations, Frank and Cindy. Well done! • TerriAnn in Torrance The Katy Geissert Award Tony Scotto. By TerriAnn Ferren Photos by TerriAnn Ferren Katy Geissert was the first female mayor of the city of Torrance, elected after running unopposed in the 1986 and 1990 elections. Her dedication to the arts in the city of Torrance prompted an award that bears her name, the prestigious Katy Geissert Award. Each year, the Torrance Cultural Arts Commission selects one person, group, or organization that has shown outstanding support and contributed to the arts in Torrance. This year’s award will be bestowed at the 37th Excellence in Arts Awards on Saturday, November 1 at 3 p.m. at the Toyota Meeting Hall. Former mayor Frank Scotto and his wife Cindy Scotto are the recipients of the 2014 Katy Geissert Award for outstanding dedication to the arts. This year’s recipients in the other categories are: for Dance, Mai No Kai Japanese Traditional Dance; for Music, Los Cancioneros Master Chorale; for Visual Arts & Design, Dali Higa; for Literary Arts, Faith Goldman; for Drama & Theatre Arts, K.C. Gussler; and the Dr. Tom Rische Arts Education Award will be awarded to Karla Schmidt Commins. Mother Teresa said, “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” That quote came to mind with regard to Frank and Cindy Scotto. They lend their support and time to the arts in ways they can. They are constant supporters of the productions put on in the city of Torrance and the South Bay, and although I haven’t seen them on stage – yet – I am sure that is a possibility. I had the opportunity to sit down and speak with Frank and Cindy Scotto about the special award they will receive November 1. “We both really have enjoyed what has gone on at the Cultural Arts Center. I realized it was something we wanted to get involved with right away. Cindy was on the Cultural Arts Foundation and because of her involvement and all the volunteering she did with them – it got us heavily involved. She would do the green room preparations for the performers, Frank and Cindy Scotto. and any number of things. As mayor I wanted to focus on it, maintain it, and keep it in good shape. When I became mayor I saw we had kind of ignored that gem in the city so we spent a little bit of money fixing it up. Now I think the Cultural Arts Foundation does an incredible job,” said Frank. Cindy told me she worked shoulder to shoulder with Ritas Smith and Ann Gallagher with regard to the Foundation and is now on the Board of Directors for the Torrance Theatre Company where she helps with fundraising, and was on the Torrance Symphony Board of Directors. Then I asked Cindy if she or Frank ever performed on stage: her reply was a quick, “No,” and then she added, “I think that’s why we support - because we are so not talented.” Actually, I believe those who support the arts are just as vital as the performers, maybe more so. And even though the former mayor is no longer serving in an official capacity, he, along with his lovely wife, Cindy, continues to donate their time, treasure and talent to the annual Foundation fundraiser. They also donate heavily to the Torrance Theatre Company, which puts on its season in downtown Torrance under the talented guidance of Gia Jordahl. “Sadly, few in the city know we have these two opportunities [the downtown Torrance Theatre Company and the Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation] and these two theatres to go to - and I venture to guess less than 5 percent of the city of Torrance takes advantage of those two facilities. That is what is really disappointing,” said Frank. Cindy added that the production of Oklahoma! by the Torrance Theatre Company was “…amazing and you didn’t have to go downtown, you didn’t have to pay to park. It was right there. They were wonderful and they have a lot to offer.” Frank went on to say, “I believe if an average artistic person went to just one of those performances they would be hooked. For the price, being local, no problem parking, I think it is true value for your dollar. You can’t get anything like that anywhere.” Then both Frank and Cindy told me of many others, including Jean Adlesman, who are dedicated to the arts and worthy of praise. Isn’t it just like Frank and Cindy to focus on others? From speaking with the Scottos, I found out they are philanthropists extraordinary dedicated to supporting the arts in Torrance and truly deserving of the 2014 Katy Geissert Award. Then I asked the busy couple what they have been up to since Frank left the office of mayor. “I am still very heavily involved with politics and people call me about everything. Today, I am the co-chair of the school bond T and U and doing a lot of speaking. I speak tomorrow night and next week at another homeowners meetings to explain T and U to people …we want them to get ‘let’s finish the job’ that we started when we passed Y and Z. This will complete the schools. We need to do it. We can all criticize how the schools got into this condition but today we need to update the schools,” said Frank. I asked Frank if he misses going to the city council meetings every Tuesday night and he told me he watches every one of them and has even attended a couple. Both Frank and Cindy told me they pay attention to the meetings and hope the good work Frank and his administration started continues into the Finding Senior Housing can be complex, but it doesn’t have to be. “You can trust A Place for Mom to help you.” – Joan Lunden Call A Place for Mom. Our Advisors are trusted, local experts who can help you understand your options. Since 2000, we’ve helped over one million families fi nd senior living solutions that meet their unique needs. A Free Service for Families. (800) 605-7996 A Place for Mom is the nation’s largest senior living referral information service. We do not own, operate, endorse or recommend any senior living community. We are paid by partner communities, so our services are completely free to families.
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