Tribute to the City's first resident

At last Wednesday's City Council meeting, there was a standing room only crowd on-hand to pay tribute to retiring city councilman Jim Thor, who with his wife, Mary Jane, is widely recognized as Rancho Santa Margarita's first resident. Along with Rancho Santa Margarita's original urban planner, the ever gracious Richard Reese, previous council members Carol Gamble and Christy Riley attended, and several former city staffers showed to celebrate with a great many active community members. The reception in the lobby prior to the meeting was so full that it was hard to say hello to old friends. Once inside the council chambers, the speeches, tributes, and presentations went on for close to two hours.

The OC Register covered the event, but with a new reporter at the meeting, details of the historical significance of each presentation were clearly lost. Kudos to City Clerk Molly McLaughlin for bringing it together so nicely.

We're all looking forward to continuing to see Jim around town, and as a member of the board of the RSM Historical Society.