Comedy and Magic Club owner Mike Lacey and community activist Janice Brittain were named the Hermosa Beach Man and Woman of the Year last night during a Chamber of Commerce awards dinner at Laceyβs club.
βItβs such an honor,β Britain, 72, said. She recently retired after 40 years in education in with Los Angeles Unified School District. Brittainβs local activities include Hermosa Beach Kiwanis Club, the Hermosa Beach Rotary Club, and the Hermosa Beach Woman’s Club. She is also a founder of the Hermosa Beach Disaster Service Workers.
βTo share the honor with Mike Lacey makes this award even more special,β Brittain said.
Mike Lacey, 61, also spoke highly of his co-honoree.
β[Janice] has been coming to the club for years and couldnβt be nicer,β he said. βI couldnβt be happier to beco honored with her.β
Lacey said the news of the award was a shock to him.
βFirst off I am always the guy more comfortable sitting in the audience watching somebody being honored than being the one on stage,β he said. βSo I had a wave of anxiety when I heard. But it is really nice of them and very humbling. I just do my job and Iβm glad to be doing it. This never entered my mind.β
Lacey said he is especially pleased with the timing of the award. He sees the last year as one of tremendous growth in Hermosa Beach.
βI had felt that the town has lost its way for the last 35 years,β he said. βBut they changed the chamber and staff and it has just been wonderful. Now we are starting to see these new really great businesses move into town. After 35 years, to see in one year things turned around so dramatically. What a wonderful year to be honored by the people of this town.β
