[CINC] John Olguin: One person can make a difference!

[Paul Jr. Petrich]

Ocean Nation, Here is a link to our Catherine French's outstanding obit for John in The Log. John Olquin Link to story in The Log Newspaper‏1/21/11Reply  ▼ Catherine FrenchTo ppetrich39 at hotmail.comhttp://viewer.zmags.com/publication/03ba89ed#/03ba89ed/10
  Following is a report on San Pedro's thank you to their Master Mariner who loved the Ocean and sought to Share and Spread that love with the world. Under the huge tent, and around it, in the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium parking lot, an overflow crowd "Celebrated" and said thank you to to "one" of their own who truly made a difference in the world he left behind. He left that world sleeping outside along side his wife on their patio, as they always did, overlooking the ocean he loved. He did not wake to join the Polar Bear Club, which he founded, in their annual early New Year's Day swim in his beloved Cabrillo Beach, but the swim was made by all in his honor.  This son of a father who walked to San Pedro from Mexico, and of a mother heralding Gabrielino Native American heritage, who as a youth had to overcome a speech impediment, was given a moving tribute by representatives of each of the following organizations: San Pedro High School where he was elected Student Body President, and as an Alum, seldom missed a football game; L A Parks and Recreation where-in he retired as a Captain of Life Guards; Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, which he started as a marine museum before Jacque Cousteau introduces SCUBA to marine science; Point Fermin Light House Society, for saving the Light House from demolition and returning its Fresnel lens after a 30 year search; American Cetacean Society, who closed their office at Pt Fermin to attend the memorial for one of their Founding Fathers; all local marine conservation organizations for being instrumental in establishing a Pt Fermin Marine Preserve in the tidal zone; Cabrillo Whale Watch for being possibly the first person in the world to convince sport fishing skippers that "watching" sea life might be as profitable as catching it; and most of all, by all in attendance, for being a Master Educator of young people in the value and beauty of the sea.   In reference to the latter, I myself remember in the the mid 50s when our Explorer Scout troop gathered the biggest crowds at our "interpretive" booth in the floor of the Los Angeles Coliseum, at a Scout-O-Rama, by displaying a live Grunion Hatching exhibit, using Cabrillo Beach sand supplied by outings with John Olguin, and a salt water aquarium ( luckily under a full or new moon in summer ). We explained in detail the conservation laws related to this fish: That you could only catch it with your bare hands, and still needed a fishing license, which helped fund all Fish and Game research at the time. Taxes never went to this cause in California  back then!   Sincerely, Paul  		 	   		  
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