Linda Sánchez Honors Lakewood Councilman Larry Van Nostran (Nov. 13, 2012)
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (D-CA) today entered a statement into the Congressional Record honoring the late Lakewood City Councilman and 9-term Mayor Larry Van Nostran for his 40+ years of public service to the people of Lakewood, California.
"Larry loved Lakewood and worked his hardest to make Lakewood a great place to live and work. Lakewood is the vibrant community it is today because of the dedication of Larry Van Nostran," said Congresswoman Sánchez. "Larry was everything a public servant should be, and I will miss working with him."
Below is a copy of Congresswoman Sánchez's statement for the Congressional Record:
STATEMENT FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
HONORING COUNCIL MEMBER LARRY VAN NOSTRAN
Rep. Linda T. Sánchez
November 13, 2012
Mister Speaker, it is with great sorrow that I announce the passing of Larry Van Nostran, who served the city of Lakewood for 37 years.
Larry was first elected to the Lakewood City Council in 1975. He is the longest serving council member in the city's history, and was serving his tenth term as a council member when he passed away Friday, November 9th. During his 37 years on the council, he served as the Mayor of the city nine times.
Among Larry's most notable achievements was the founding of the Lakewood Youth Sports Hall of Fame in 1981 and its continued success for the past 30 years. The Hall of Fame has honored thousands of Lakewood youth during that time, and has helped promote a vigorous sports and recreational culture in the city. This strong tradition was nationally recognized by Sports Illustrated magazine, who named Lakewood "Sportstown USA" in 2004.
Larry was instrumental in helping create a high quality of life in Lakewood's neighborhoods and finding solutions to keep Lakewood's crime rate low. Larry began his service in Lakewood city government as a member of the Traffic and Safety Commission, and was a longtime member of the Public Safety Committee as a member of city council. He firmly believed that there's not a more important value than keeping a community safe. He was a strong supporter of the Lakewood Award of Valor event, where public safety personnel, volunteers and residents are honored annually for their dedication, hard work and courage.
Larry was prominent in the development and expansion of senior services, which were scant before he was elected to the city council. Larry saw the initiation of Lakewood's DASH senior transit system and exercise and fitness programs at the city's two senior centers. He was also a champion of growing Lakewood's business and commercial base, which included modernizing the second largest shopping center in Los Angeles County, Lakewood Center Mall.
Larry was born in Seville, Ohio in 1933 and moved to Lakewood in 1958, just four years after the city was incorporated. He was active in Lakewood civic life for over 40 years, including membership in the Elks Club, Jaycees, Kiwanis Club, Lakewood Pan American Association, and Masonic Lodge & Scottish Rite.
As you are aware Mister Speaker, many of our colleagues in city government have a fundamental impact on the lives of our constituents and they rarely get the recognition that they deserve. The city of Lakewood will miss Larry, and I stand with many in our community in sending my thoughts and prayers to his family. Thank you Mister Speaker, I ask for a moment of silence for Larry Van Nostran, a true public servant, and I yield back the balance of my time.
###