Page 26 - Customs Today Winter1984-OCR

Customs Cameos By Dorothy Colleta, Charles W. Conroy,
Clifton V. Stallings, Liz Orgeron and Janet Rappaport.
campaign for "Operation Homefind," a program of Ad vocates for Black Children (ABC's).
Mrs. Broussard has also helped to organize the Southwest Chapter of the National Committee for Preven tion of Child Abuse and was recently appointed to that organization's first Board of Directors. She. is a board member of the Family Services Society, one of the oldest United Way agencies providing services to families in New Orleans. She serves this organization as part of the Policy and Planning Committee, and says she feels this is another avenue to helping the neglected, unwanted or abused child to be found, recognized and led to a better life.
The South Central Region is pleased to recognize Mrs. Broussard's interest and achievements in helping
the less fortunate children in our community. —Liz Orgeron, New Orleans, La
Bill Plicka
When Bill Plicka plays, people listen. This Cleveland District Supervisory Customs Aide holds degrees in voice and music composition, and is busy on several musical
fronts. He serves as music program director at radio sta tion WDOK-AM, is a music instructor and is also a free lance composer and arranger of television commercials. He has had over 100 arrangements published for radio
and TV commercials, too.
"You must know your craft well," says Bill, "so well
that it comes naturally." Many of the commercials for which he supplies music are shot in one day because of
budget costs, he explains, adding that "my arrangements must be accurate to 1/100th of a second. Timing is
money."
Bill says 75 percent of his musical work involves
arranging and the remaining 25 percent involves compos
ing. He says that in classical music, symphony scores are the most difficult and complex. Arranging symphonic
scores of his own compositions is a special art he de scribes as "a combination of taking it apart and putting it back together for master musicians and their
instruments."
"Working with a symphony orchestra is an honor and a privilege" he says, adding, "the music is like a Rolls
Royce, dignified, colorful and diverse."
—Clifton V. Stallings, Public Affairs Officer, North
Central Region.
Hattie M.
Broussard Hattie Broussard is an attorney with the U.S. Customs Service, the mother of two sons, ages 5 and 6, and a person very concerned that children of this society
"get a fair deal" when it comes to family life.
A staff member of the Regional Counsel, New
Orleans, a 1974 graduate of the Tulane Law School and immediate past president and co-founder of the New Orleans Association of Black Women Attorneys, Hattie's most recent involvement has been with a promotional
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Jose M.Lara
Jose M. Lara, left rear wearing glasses, is a Super
visory Customs Inspector at the Fort Hancock, Tex., port of entry. He has been coaching soccer with the American
Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) in the El Paso, Tex., Eastside Division for two years. This year he coached two teams, the "Cowboys," five- and six-year-olds, who won first place in their division (there were no play-offs) and the "Dust Devils," seven- and eight-year-olds, who also won first place in their division, then advanced to the city-wide tournament where they won second.
SCI Lara attributes his success to support from the
parents, the assistant coaches and the players. "Their
cooperation and enthusiasm are just unbelievable," SCI Lara says. He is also very grateful to his co-workers at the
Fort Hancock and. Fabens, Tex., ports of entry. "They have unselfishly altered their schedules time and time again so that I may have time to continue with my coach ing," he says.
Asked if he plans to continue coaching soccer, SCI Lara replied, "Well, as long as my son Richard plays, I will
try to coach. Once you have been bitten by the bug, you are hooked."
At present he is coaching an indoor soccer team, "The Patriots," under-eight-year-olds, which is in first place. I believe he will be involved with youth soccer for
quite some time; he just became the Assistant Commis sioner for the AYSO El Paso, Tex., Eastside Division.
—Dorothy Colleta, El Paso District