Tears and Bouquets at MVCC Meeting as Bodensteiner Resigns

Community council meetings aren’t usually known for a glut of waterworks. However, Tuesday night’s Mar Vista Community Council’s monthly Board of Directors meeting at the was desperately in need of a large box of Kleenex when Secretary Laura Bodensteiner took her position alongside Chairman Albert Olson for the last time.

After five years on the council, , as she is moving with her husband and three children to San Diego. During her time on the council, Bodensteiner served five years as secretary, four years as the newsletter creator and producer and was the founder and co-chair of the council’s Green Committee.

As Bodensteiner took her seat one last time, she constantly dabbed her eyes, even before Olson called on her to “say a few words.”

Bodensteiner said she would definitely only be saying a few words because, “I’m not sure I’ll be able to control myself.” Bodensteiner said it had been “an honor to serve the Mar Vista community. “I’m proud of what I have done on the board and the Green Committee. It’s something for Mar Vista to be proud of. Thank you.”

One by one, board and community members came forward to thank Bodensteiner, many choking back tears.

Councilman Bill Rosendahl presented Bodensteiner with a certificate from the city that read in part, “We consider you intelligent, kind, loyal, trustworthy dependable and an amazing asset to the Mar Vista community.”

Rosendahl said it was thanks to Bodensteiner’s efforts in the creation and running of the Green Committee that “Mar Vista is the No. 1 green sustainable community in the city. Mayor [Antonio Villaraigosa] has acknowledged it to me and so has [Eric Garcetti], president of the City Council.”

HoneyLove founder Chelsea McFarland praised Bodensteiner for helping her and her husband Rob to launch their efforts to create a in Mar Vista.

“Just having a green committee where something like HoneyLove could flourish is absolutely because of you,” she said.

Sherri Akers, Bodensteiner’s co-chair on the Green Committee said, “This has been just the most amazing journey and you’ve made us such heroes. I’m just grateful, and I’m so jealous of San Diego.”

Lorraine Wells of the Mar Vista Farmers’ Market board also stopped by to hand Bodensteiner a bouquet of flowers and thank her for all her work at the market.

Board members Kate Anderson and Chuck Ray both spoke of the huge hole that Bodensteiner will leave, and several other board members including Alex Thompson and Bill Koontz joked that they refused to take over her thankless task of writing up the minutes of each meeting.

Former Board Chairman Rob Kadota presented Bodensteiner with a vase of flowers and the tears flowed as final photographs were snapped.

Chair Albert Olson went on to explain the rules for filling the vacancy now left by Bodensteiner, in which people now have 40 days to submit their names and request to be considered for the position.

He too was teary-eyed at Bodensteiner’s departure. Nonetheless, he said, “People serve [on this board] for a while and then they move on. That’s what makes us an excellent council.”

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