Four honored in naming of Council 2 scholarships

The Council 2 scholarships for 2000 will be named in honor of four people. Details are given below.

The Dependant Scholarship will be named for Valarie Davis.

Davis was a member of Local 1811-CA for many years. She personally was responsible for deferred compensation and retirement contribution adjustments being improved this summer.

She also assisted in educating not only her bargaining unit but also the entire Local on retirement issues.

“Valarie’s warm personality, friendship and many contributions will be greatly missed,” said Cammy Hart-Anderson, president of Local 1811-CA.

The Continuing Education Scholarships will be named for Chris Fecht and George Zelko.

Chris Fecht, a member of Local 109 for almost nine years, was a hard-working man, a good husband and a fine father, said Roger Moller, president of Local 109.

“At the age of 44, Chris was taken from us by coronary disease,” Moller said. He leaves his wife Brenda (a member of afscme affiliate 109-E) and his son Christopher.

George Zelko worked for the City of Kelso for 25 years. During that time, he served as secretary-treasurer of Local 1557PW for several terms. His quadruple heart bypass was featured on a Portland news program that covered his progress from the days before his surgery to his recuperation and return to work.

“George was the type of person who always had a word of encouragement for everyone,” one of his colleagues said. “My life is brighter because I knew George as a man who was always there for his fellow worker even through the adverse situations that met him due to his heart condition.”

The Summer School for Women Scholarship will be named for Katie Bell Hall.

Katie Bell Hall, the grand-daughter of Rozelle Hall who has been a member of Local 120 for more than 10 years, was killed in a car wreck in the Spring.

Katie, her mother, Wendy, and her grandmother were active participants in Local functions, said Harold Withrow, president of Local 120.

She took part in informational picketing at the Health Department and the Tacoma Public Library as well as dressing up as a clown and entertaining children at a Local picnic, he added.

“Katie may have been 19, but she had a real grasp of worker issues and had planned to make a career as a labor advocate,” Withrow said. “I can think of no other person that would exemplify what these scholarships are all about than Katie Bell Hall.”