Region Brief: Former Rittman [Ohio] man honored in California

Blog note: we posted the press release of this award on November 5 and an article appearing in the Marin Independent Journal on November 20. The following article appeared in a newspaper in a Ohio region where the award recipient grew up.

LAFAYETTE, Calif. -- The California Grand Jurors' Association has granted the 2015 Angelo Rolando Memorial Award to Owen Haxton of Novato, Calif., formerly of Rittman, for outstanding service to the association. Haxton was presented with the award at the association's conference held in November.

Haxton is a 1947 graduate of Rittman High School, earning a degree in education from Kent State University in 1952. He was commission as a 2nd lieutenant in the United States Army Reserves. Also in 1952, he married Virginia Hurd of Silver Lake. He was called to active duty in 1953. While serving in Korea, Haxton received a commission in the Regular Army.

He served in various duty assignments, including two tours in Vietnam, and retired in 1974. Haxton became an avid bridge player, serving the American Contract Bridge League at many levels, culminating in his election to its National Board of Directors in the late 1990s.

Haxton served as an impaneled juror on the Marin County Regular Grand Jury in 2002-2003 and 2003-2004. The Regular Grand Jury concept is unique to California. Such juries are charged with investigating matters of civil concern within their county, examining how effectively and efficiently local governments operate.

During his jury service, Haxton joined the California Grand Jurors' Association and has been active in the Marin County chapter of the association and with the statewide association itself since. He served as president of the chapter for two years. Owen served on the board of directors of the statewide association, chaired the Membership Relations Committee and was part of a small group of individuals who began regional meetings of chapters. Haxton also served on the awards committee of the association from 2010 to 2014.

The California Grand Jurors' Association is a statewide nonprofit organization of current and former grand jurors throughout the state. The association's mission is "to promote, preserve and support the grand jury system through training, education and outreach."

The Angelo Rolando Memorial Award was created in 1991 to honor Angelo Rolando, who, in 1979, traveled throughout the state to explore creation a statewide grand juror organization. From his efforts, meetings then took place leading to the creation of the California Grand Jurors' Association.

November 30, 2015

The Daily Record, Wooster, Ohio