CARSON — The City of Carson will hold a retirement reception and City Council Chamber dedication ceremony on Tuesday, June 4, for Helen S. Kawagoe, who served as city clerk for more than 37 years.
The reception starts at 3 p.m. at the Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald Community Center, 801 E. Carson St., Carson.
The ceremony starts at 5 p.m. at Carson City Hall, 701 E. Carson St., Carson.
“Helen extends her gratitude and appreciation for the priceless support, friendships and fellowship she has received over the years,” Kawagoe’s family said in a statement. “She appreciates your well wishes, thoughts and prayers and requests no gifts or flowers.”
Kawagoe, who was first elected in 1974, resigned after suffering a severe stroke in September 2011 and now resides at South Bay Keiro in Gardena. Her supporters asked that the Council Chambers be immediately named after her to recognize her decades of service, but three of the five City Council members voted to rename the chambers after Kawagoe’s passing.
The Helen’s Dream Coalition held petition drives and demonstrations throughout 2012 to change the council’s vote. Following the election in November of Al Robles, a council candidate who supported the coalition, the council voted unanimously in March to rename the chambers as soon as possible.