COMMUNITY DEVOTION HAS SET COUPLE APART.Byline: Sonia Giordani Daily News Staff Writer When Ken and Doris Rufener bought their two-story, stucco-and-tile house on a quiet cul-de-sac in Westlake Village, there were barely 25 families in the community to call neighbors and friends. ``When we came here, we didn't know that we would be settling here,'' said Doris Rufener, sitting in her living room, arm in arm with her husband of 51 years. With two children to raise, the Rufeners said, they hoped to find a safe neighborhood and a good community to which they could contribute. This month, the Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation will honor one of the city's most influential couples with the Civitas Award for their 30-year commitment to public service and community building in the Conejo Valley The Conejo Valley is a region spanning both Southeastern Ventura County and Northwest Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States. It was discovered in 1542 by Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, and eventually became part of the Rancho El Conejo land grant by . Since settling in Westlake Village in 1967, the Rufeners have each followed a distinguished path of leadership and service in the area - Doris as an active member of women's clubs women's clubs, groups that offer social, recreational, and cultural activities for adult females. Particularly strong in the United States, they became an important part of American town and village life in the latter part of the 19th cent. and other volunteer and charity organizations and Ken as a local political leader, serving on the City Council and as the city's mayor. Established in 1977 and first presented to Wilfred Rothschild, the Civitas Award honors individuals who have demonstrated leadership and citizenship through community service work and volunteerism. ``We look for who is making those contributions - the individuals who are addressing the problems and concerns of the greater community and looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. solutions to them,'' said Mark Matthews This article is about Mark Matthews, a Buffalo Soldier in the United States Army. For other uses, see Mark Matthews (disambiguation). Mark Matthews (August 7, 1894 – September 6, 2005) was the oldest surviving Buffalo Soldier in the United States Army when he died , a participant of the five-member Civitas Award committee and a recipient himself of the Civitas Award in 1993. ``They contributed to the community in a humble, quiet way,'' said Matthews, who will present the award to the Rufeners on Sept. 14. Each year, the Civitas committee meets to consider individuals in the community who have demonstrated a commitment to public service and community life. In the 20 years since the Civitas Award was established, it has been awarded only 11 times. In 1991, Alice and Macneil Stelle were the first - and until this year, the only - couple to jointly receive the award. ``We are very honored to have been selected. And I am very happy that we could be recognized together,'' said Ken Rufener. ``It would have been impossible for us to have done many of the things we did without one another's help.'' Ken and Doris Rufener met in New Guinea New Guinea (gĭn`ē), island, c.342,000 sq mi (885,780 sq km), SW Pacific, N of Australia; the world's second largest island after Greenland. while serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II - Ken as a statistical control officer and Doris as an expert in mechanical airplane parts. The couple married in 1946, one year after the war ended, and settled briefly in Columbus, Ohio Columbus is the capital and the largest city of the American state of Ohio. Named for explorer Christopher Columbus, the city was founded in 1812 at the confluence of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, and assumed the functions of state capital in 1816. , where Ken had grown up. Doris retired from the service and attended business college in Ohio, later working as a stenographer An individual who records court proceedings either in shorthand or through the use of a paper-punching device. A court stenographer is an officer of the court and is generally considered to be a state or public official. until the couple adopted their daughter, Karen, and later their son, David. The Rufeners lived in various cities, as Ken was transferred from base to base. He retired from the service in 1966 after 25 years and took a job with Hughes Aircraft Hughes Aircraft Company was a major aerospace and defense company founded by Howard Hughes. The group was based near Ballona Creek, in Culver City, California, USA, on the Pacific Coast. Hughes Aircraft was acquired by General Motors in 1985. in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, . Since then, they have volunteered much of their time to community service projects through civic organizations and through the Westminster Presbyterian Church Westminster Presbyterian Church can refer to:
Doris Rufener was a regular volunteer at the children's unit of the Camarillo State Hospital until its closure this year. She has served as president of the California Federation of Women's Clubs and currently holds the position of president of the Westlake Women's Club. ``I originally joined because I was lonesome lone·some adj. 1. a. Dejected because of a lack of companionship. See Synonyms at alone. b. Producing such dejection: a lonesome hour at the bar. 2. . I was new in California and didn't know anyone,'' she said. ``There have been many rewards over the years in terms of the satisfaction we got in doing things in the community and in making friends here,'' Doris said. In 1986, she was named Conejo Valley Woman of the Year and in 1994 was named Patriotic Citizen of the Year by the Conejo Chapter of Military Order of World Wars. In his early involvement with the city, Ken helped to found the Westlake Athletic Association and served on the board of the Neighborhood Homeowners Association. In the mid-1980s, he led a controversial fight to retain the Westlake Golf Course Westlake Golf Course is a 18 hole regulation length golf course located in Westlake Village, California, USA. It is an 18-hole course designed by Ted Robinson, ASGCA in 1964. It features 5,080 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 67. The course rating is 63. . He served two terms on the City Council, including two years as mayor. Together, the couple has also worked to unite area social service organizations into an umbrella group called Under One Roof. The Rufeners will be honored at an award reception held at the home of Bettina Savoldelli on Sept. 14. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Doris and Ken Rufener saw a window of opportunity to serve their Westlake Village community in 1967 and haven't stopped since. Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News |
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