by Congratulations to the three locals who were just selected Carlsbad’s Citizens of the Year.
Maureen Simons and Bonnie and Gunnar Biggs will get recognition for their community work, which focuses on fostering camaraderie, assisting others, and improving everyone’s quality of life in Carlsbad.
Over fifty years old, the Citizen of the Year program honors people of the community who have dedicated their time and efforts to the betterment, beautification, and civic enhancement of Carlsbad.
The Council Chamber at Carlsbad City Hall, located at 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive, hosted a ceremony on Tuesday, July 29 at 3 p.m. to celebrate this year’s recipients. A modest luncheon was held in the courtyard after the event.
Biggs, Bonnie, and GunnarAfter more than 30 years in Carlsbad, Bonnie and Gunnar Biggs have dedicated a significant portion of their time to serving the community by combining their passions for music, education, and public service.
Renowned bassist and music educator Gunnar has been a major player in the Southern California jazz scene for many years, sharing the stage with a wide range of musical luminaries. In addition to managing the orchestras at Valley Middle School and Carlsbad High School in Carlsbad for five years, virtually increasing the size of those programs, he has taught bass for 25 years at San Diego State University and mentored generations of young musicians.
Bonnie, a retired teacher and lifetime librarian, assisted in starting the library program at what is now Cal State San Marcos. She also oversaw efforts for a number of years to establish ties between the university and the community through cultural events, lectures, and concerts. Bonnie developed enduring relationships with local tribal communities, which led to the creation of the region’s annual American Indian Pow Wow.
After retiring, she carried on with that work, contributing to the creation of the first Tribal Communities Task Force and Native Advisory Council for the CSU system, two significant steps in creating enduring educational relationships with nearby indigenous communities.
Gunnar and Bonnie have been making a difference in Carlsbad and beyond since they retired from their day jobs a number of years ago. They created a happy and safe venue for people to gather during the COVID-19 outbreak by hosting a series of outdoor concerts from their Carlsbad home’s front porch.
Love on A Leash, which offers pet therapy visits at nearby hospitals, schools, libraries, and senior living complexes, has been Bonnie’s passion since 2007. She founded the Paws to Read program at the Carlsbad Library Learning Center and oversaw the Cole Library’s program, which pairs kids with trained therapy dogs to learn reading. Recently, Gunnar also started volunteering with Love on a Leash.
“It’s amazing to see what therapy dogs can do to help kids learn to read,” Bonnie added. It’s sheer joy when kids read to these dogs and no one criticizes or corrects them.
In addition, Gunnar frequently performs at the Carlsbad Senior Center, Carlsbad libraries, and Sunday night events at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church to share his musical talents. He still mentors other musicians and teaches music.
“Watching students succeed in practically any career has been one of my biggest rewards as a teacher,” he said. Knowing that you have positively impacted someone’s life is what you want.
That’s how a lot of people feel about the Biggses.
According to Beth Hulsart, who submitted Bonnie and Gunnar for the Citizen of the Year honor, the pair has greatly enhanced the Carlsbad community. They are an essential and priceless resource, and they freely and often share their abilities. Having them in Carlsbad is a blessing.
Over the course of the last 25 years, Patricia Maureen Simons has been actively involved in Carlsbad, giving her time and efforts to numerous local organizations and initiatives that improve the town, unite people, and assist those in need.
Among her volunteer activities are leadership and/or board positions in the Carlsbad Republican Women Federated, the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation, the Mitchell Thorp Foundation, the Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary Club (President, 2018–19), the Assistance League of North Coast (President, 2006–2007), the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, which named her Ambassador of the Year in 2016. In addition, she has been a longtime member of the St. Patrick Catholic Community in Carlsbad, where she has coordinated the annual St. Patrick Dinner Dance for ten years and helps in the Eucharistic and funeral ministries.
Simons was nominated for this year’s Citizen of the Year award by a number of people, who praised her unwavering efforts and her kind manner of encouraging everyone in her vicinity. She is committed to community service and aiding people in need, and one person described her as the perfect example of a servant leader.
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According to Jen Belnap’s nomination letter, “If you’ve met Maureen, you know her trademark smile, which matches the warmth of her heart.” According to Maureen, one of the highlights of her work with the Assistance League was taking a few young guys shopping for suits, which was something new for a number of them.
She first became involved with the Rotary Club through her husband, John, who spearheaded the construction of the Magee Park gazebo that bears his name. She became a member of the Rotary Club herself after his death in 2010 in order to maintain relationships with old acquaintances and support the organization’s charitable endeavors.
Despite having held a number of leadership positions, Simons stated that she always views herself as a team member. “I get as much out of community service as I give,” she remarked.
Simons, who also spends a lot of time with her seven children and fifteen grandchildren, said volunteering keeps her active and gives her a positive outlook on life. I enjoy taking part in activities that uplift others. It motivates me to rise early and maintain an active lifestyle throughout the day.
According to friends, she is quite inspirational because of her selflessness and upbeat outlook.
According to Yvonne Murchison Finocchiaro’s nomination form, Maureen is the ideal leader. She is giving and compassionate. She is entertaining and well-rounded. She is the epitome of Carlsbad.
Congratulations to everyone!
