Oliver Morris, right, is honored Tuesday by his fellow Rotarians for receiving a 2018 Community Asset Award. Also pictured are Rotary Club of Los Alamos president Vincent Chiravalle and secretary Linda Hull. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Oliver Morris is honored Tuesday at the Rotary Club of Los Alamos lunchtime weekly meeting at Cottonwood on the Greens. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
Rotary Club of Los Alamos members recognized Oliver Morris Tuesday at their regular weekly meeting for receiving a 2018 Community Asset Award his work in bringing a treehouse to the Pajarito Environmental Education Center.
The treehouse is the largest of the many service projects accomplished by the club over the years.
Linda Hull read the following application for the award during the meeting:
The Rotary Club of Los Alamos would like to recognize one of its most active members, Oliver Morris. Most of you know Oliver as the Los Alamos Police Department Commander who often serves as spokesperson for the Department for local media. Many of you know Oliver as the local organizer for the Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run.
The Rotary Club of Los Alamos, however, knows Oliver best as the evolved member who joined our club just three years ago and who serves enthusiastically on the board. There he serves the avenues of service committee – coordinating activities that focus on service to our Rotary Club, to the community, to youth and to international service.
We are pleased to nominate Oliver this year for his outstanding above and beyond service to the Los Alamos community and our Northern New Mexico neighbors for his creative idea to build a tree house at the Nature Center. To accomplish this, Oliver volunteered hundreds of hours to plan and prepare for construction and worked diligently with the staff of the Pajarito Environmental Education Center, with County officials, with Danny Romero of Green Lawn and with Rotary Club presidents spanning two years, Laura Loy and Vincent Chiravalle.
With club support Oliver was able to coordinate the largest service project our Rotary Club has offered the community – a treehouse for children and adults alike. The treehouse was officially opened to the public in August and has since draw, imagine and appreciate the out of doors. It is already a beloved attraction in the community and one grandmother said, “I’ve just come from PEEC and the Rotary treehouse with two little grandsons who absolutely loved it and had eyes as big as saucers. What a wonderful to donate for the use of the community children. It was over the top and even I felt like a child, filled with awe and wonder at such a wonderful, magical place”.