James Grasso, T-CEP Volunteer of the Year

 

PHOTO BY TERRY COX

In a surprise move during the May 7 meeting, T-CEP Chairman, James Grasso, was honored as the 2012 T-CEP Volunteer of the Year.

Colleague, Bryce Anderson, painted a bright picture of James as a person with a disease that afflicts all T-CEP volunteers at one level or another: the inability to say “no” when asked to help a friend, neighbor, or stranger.

“Grasso is a man of many talents who doesn’t hesitate to jump in and get many tasks done,” Anderson said, “be it communicating disaster information, acting as T-CEP liaison to various government agencies or remodeling buildings.

“Whatever is needed. He does it all. He is a meticulous leader who makes sound decisions and does the work of three ordinary people.

“Trying to imagine T-CEP without James Grasso makes me break out in a cold sweat,” Anderson concluded.

The perpetual trophy handed to Grasso originated in 2005 when the huge “rock” fell on the Topanga Canyon Boulevard “S” curves in a year with more than 60-inches of rainfall.

Alli Acker, hiked down the closed canyon road and brought back the “trophy,” a chunk of the boulder that is presented with a poster that says, “You Rock, T-CEP Volunteer of the Year.” n