3 Honored for Giving Community Service

Together, the three of them have dedicated thousands of hours to improving the quality of life in Chatsworth. On Friday, the community gave its thanks by naming them “Citizens of the Year.”

Abbie Paschal, Laurie Renno and Keith Watts were honored Friday evening at an Encino banquet sponsored by the Chatsworth Community Coordinating Council, a group that combines the resources of several community-level organizations based in the northwest San Fernando Valley.

Paschal and Renno were selected for their work with the Chatsworth Junior Baseball League over the last nine years, in addition to their many years of service with the PTA. “[They] have selflessly led and inspired young and old alike throughout the Chatsworth community,” organizers wrote in nominating the pair.

Watts, a longtime volunteer who helped found the Chatsworth Historical Society, was cited for more than 30 years of helping the community in several ways, such as in the relocation of the old Chatsworth Methodist Church.

Also honored Friday were two teenagers named “Youth of the Year” for their academic and athletic achievements.

Lindsay Amstutz, 16, has volunteered for three years at Mason Recreation Center, where she created an all-girl basketball program for Chatsworth children. Natalie Marino, 17, is president of Chatsworth High School’s Optimist Octagon Club and often works with blind and learning disabled adults at a Reseda center.