The Claremont League of Women Voters give former mayor Ellen Taylor the 2009 Ruth Ordway Award last weekend

Here is the description of what was said about Taylor at the event:

"Each year, since 1983, The Claremont Area League has remembered with deep respect one of Claremont's most influential early community leaders, Ruth Ordway, and has presented an award, bearing her name, to one of our current outstanding community leaders.

"A visionary in the community, Ruth Ordway was a leader in establishing the Claremont Intercultural Council, a group active in promoting cross-cultural housing in the barrio and in developing opportunities for Mexican -American students.

"Twice president of the early LWV, which she co-founded, she was active in issues that the LWV supported, such as pasteurization of milk and the creation of Memorial Park.

"She was also a spokesman for the LWV in opposition to issues. On one such opposed issue, in 1938, she was quoted as saying, "It is contrary to the LWV's policy of better personnel in government, sound public finance, and a simplified state constitution." How relevant her quote remains today!

"It is often difficult to recognize one particular leader among the many women and men, LWVers or not, who have given outstanding service to the Claremont Community. This year our recipient is an active LWV member with a history of diverse and effective leadership and her selection by the committee was unanimously enthusiastic.

"A native of Massachusetts and a graduate of Skidmore College, she worked as a social worker for many years before coming to Claremont over thirty years ago. Not one to be shy or hesitant, Ellen Taylor soon began to be involved in the community, and involved, indeed, she continued to be.

"Fast forward many years later, when Ellen was running for City Council, in her campaign literature she suggested that through her experience as a community leader she had " an understanding of the past and a vision for the future".

"She proposed issues that she would address, based on her leadership experience. We can look at the issues she identified to have an insight into her community involvement.

"Her list included:
Sensible economic development: She had been President of the Claremont
Chamber of Commerce
Historic Preservation: She had been a Board member and vice-president of Claremont Heritage
Wise land-use planning: She was a member of Citizen's Committee for the general plan and a strong proponent of hillside/wilderness preservation
Regional solutions to transportation problems: She was chairperson of the Claremont Traffic and Transportation Commission for four years

"Her leadership roles had also included President of the LWV, V-P of Friends of the Library, Board member of International Place at the colleges, Chair of the Legal and Protection Services Sub-committee of the City of Claremont's Committee on Aging and V-P and Membership Chair of the Claremont Community Coordinating Council.

"All of this experience was PRIOR to her election to the City Council, where she was described by some staff as one of the hardest working council members.

"Bringing her social worker background with her, she represented the City on the Tri-City Mental Health Board and worked hard for additional affordable housing and the acquisition of Johnson's Pasture during her Council tenure, along with many other issues.

"As Mayor, she represented Claremont well at all levels of government and at the many public events her role required.

"It was perhaps in the aftermath of an earlier unfortunate tragedy in town, that Ellen's finest and most sensitive contribution occurred. She stepped forward to address the tensions dividing the community by organizing Study Circles, a national program designed by the LWV to identify issues through small discussion groups. There was wide participation by the community and many credit this effort as beginning the needed healing of the community.

"Ellen has believed in consensus building as a core ingredient of her leadership and this effort was an outstanding example of that quality.

"Her past participation in this community suggests she should be resting and enjoying a "responsibility-free" life, but not so. She is hard at work on the new Affordable Housing project and has a new appointment to the City of Claremont's Committee on Aging.

"She will also return to a less interrupted role as Office Manager of Marshall's, law firm and will have more time to enjoy her two married sons and their wives, and await the arrival of the first grandchild.

"With great pride and respect, we honor Ellen Taylor today with the RUTH ORDWAY AWARD for all she has given to this community, her passion for service and her vision extraordinaire."

Taylor, in an e-mail, said: "I consider receiving this to be a great honor, one that I do not take lightly, since the people who have won the award in the past are some of my role models. I am humbled to be recognized by the League."