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Wednesday, May 22, 2019
. 24 PARLEZ FIRST TIME AHWATUKEE NOVELIST
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The Class of 2019 calling it a wrap AFN NEWS STAFF
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lex Bellin was among the first but hardly the last to bid farewell this month to high school and begin a new chapter in life. Alex, 17, of Ahwatukee, was the valedictorian at Seton Catholic Prepatory’s graduation May 14 — the first in a series of high school commencement ceremonies. That series will reach a crescendo in Ahwatukee tomorrow, May 23, as around 1,500 Mountain Pointe and Desert Vista High School seniors graduate. The community’s other high school, Horizon Honors Secondary, will hold
its graduation next Tuesday for 103 seniors. Not to be left out of the end-of-the-schoolyear rituals, five Ahwatukee elementary schools — Sierra, Cerritos, Lagos, Estrella and Esperanza — hosted former students who are graduating from high school this week. Dressed in caps and gowns, those seniors will have a chance to meet eighth graders at those schools and give them an inspirational message about what awaits in high school — and how to navigate it successfully over the next four years. At Mountain Pointe High, three students will be addressing their classmates after they were chosen for their academic and extracur-
ricular accomplishments over the last four years. Those three students, who each racked up an impressive cumulative GPA of 4.88, are: Emma Mason, one of 20 winners this year of a coveted Flinn Scholarship; Zuy Pham, the school’s Scholar Athlete of the Year; and Christina Diggs, another scholar-athlete and Mountain Pointe’s only National Merit Scholarship finalist. Emma is eyeing a career in public health and is headed to The University of Arizona. Zuy plans to study computer science at Ari-
see GRADS page 14
Legion Post 64 reminds us of what Memorial Day is for 24 . 38
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SPRING SPORTS REVIEW
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BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
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s people prepare this weekend for barbecues or trips to Sedona, one Ahwatukee group of men and women will be readying to observe the true meaning of Memorial Day – honoring their brothers and sisters in arms who made the supreme sacrifice for their country. American Legion Post 64’s color guard and other members will be participating in a solemn and inspirational service at 8 a.m. Monday at the National Cemetery of Arizona, 23029 North Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek. The 225-acre site is the final resting place for more than 78,000 veterans and their relatives. Post 64, the only military service organization based in Ahwatukee, counts a little less than 200 former members of
all branches of the U.S. military among its members. “To preserve the memories and honor the sacrifices of those who paid the ultimate price while serving their country, Ahwatukee American Legion Post 64 is dedicated to providing and supporting remembrance services and ceremonies,” said Brenda Smull, the post’s public information officer. And when it comes to next Monday, she added, nothing should take precedence over the reason why Memorial Day was created in the first place. “The Memorial Day ceremonies are a very important and respected tradition for veterans and their families across the country and include the presentation of the flag, slow salutes and the playing of taps,” she said, noting some services also include prayers, a reading of
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Brenda Smull of Ahwatukee American Legion Post 64 placed flowers on the graves of veterans last Memorial Day at the National Cemetery of Arizona in Cave Creek and she will be doing that again this Monday. (Steve Smull/Special to AFN)
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