Altadena Resident Presented President’s Volunteer Service Award

75-year-old Altadena resident Baeri Penn has been presented the prestigious President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) in recognition of his recent service to the community.

Accompanying the award was a letter from President Joe Biden.

“On behalf of the American people, I extend my heartfelt appreciation to you for your volunteer leadership, and I encourage you to continue to answer the call to serve,” Biden wrote. “The country is counting on you.”

Penn, a resident of Altadena for 31 years, took the lead — as a volunteer — in the design and installation of a sweeping new permanent exhibit at the Altadena Community Center entitled, “Fourteen Decades of Altadena History.”

In his professional career, Penn worked as the project manager on exhibits for a wide variety of museums, both the Nixon and Reagan Presidential Libraries, and the Mount Rushmore Visitor’s Center.

Penn’s vision of a timeline of local history centers on a four-foot-diameter “cookie” — a cross section of a tree — cut from the very base of historic Tree #8 from Christmas Tree Lane. Nicknamed “Herbert”, the cookie was rescued from the ignominious fate that the rest of the tree experienced in 2017 when LA County crews felled the tree and hauled it all to the dump. By carefully counting annular growth rings, a dendrochronologist recently confirmed that Herbert was planted in 1883 by the Woodbury brothers – the same year that Altadena was founded. The exhibit ties the growth rings on “Herbert” to 14 informative panels that surround the “cookie,” describing historic years and events in Altadena history.

Christmas Tree Lane is one of Altadena’s most-iconic locations, and it recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. Thousands of people visit the 3/4-mile-long Lane each holiday season to see the massive Himalayan deodar cedars that line it bedecked in strings of festive lights.

“The President’s Volunteer Service Award is the nation’s top acknowledgement of volunteerism, and Baeri is most worthy of this honor,” said René Amy, an Altadena resident (himself an earlier PVSA recipient) who helped on the project, saved Herbert from the dump, arranged for Penn’s award, and personally delivered it to him. “Baeri put his heart and soul into this amazing project, and the result will delight and inform community members and guests for decades to come.”

“Because COVID substantially scrambled efforts, expectations, and reporting schedules, Baeri’s award only recognizes a fraction of the time he so generously donated over the past three years. Frustratingly, others who also deserve the award were not able to be recognized,” said Amy. “Of particular note are the volunteer efforts of Mary Landau, who did extensive historical research for the project. Without Mary, this project could not have been completed.” A passionate volunteer himself, Amy submitted the information required for Penn’s award after undergoing the requisite training and examination that thereby qualified one of his businesses to certify PVSA-award eligibility for volunteers.

“The bottom line is that while it’s uncommon for our community, I hope that the President’s recognition of Baeri’s efforts spurs others to step up and become committed volunteers. The PVSA award is a wonderful thing, but the real reward of volunteerism comes from the satisfaction of helping others,” said Amy.