THE NEWSPAPER OF AVONDALE, BUCKEYE, GOODYEAR, LITCHFIELD PARK & TOLLESON Goodyear Veteran resident teaches to sing for vets yoga NASCAR PAGE 25 PAGE
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This Week
NEWS .............. 9 EMCC hosting cybersecurity roundtable
SPORTS ........ 21 Worthy commits to Wagner College
9 DAYS ......... 23 Looking for something to do? Check out the 9 Days a Week calendar
LETTERS ........................12 BUSINESS..................... 17 SPORTS ..........................21 FEATURES .....................24 NEIGHBORHOOD......26 YOUTH ...........................28 OBITUARIES .................30 CLASSIFIEDS................31 NORTH
The Voice of the West Valley for 33 years
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November 7, 2018
100 years after WWI, Frank Luke Jr.’s legacy lives on By Connor Dziawura
Renowned World War I pilot Frank Luke Jr. is a man of many nicknames – and for good reason. Denoted the Arizona Balloon Buster, Sausage Buster and, at one point, America’s Ace of Aces, Luke’s feats are well documented. A native Arizonan, 21-year-old Luke was killed in action September 29, 1918, near Murvaux, France. Now, 100 years from the armistice that brought the war to a conclusion, the mark Luke left on the Grand Canyon State – and the world – remains etched in stone. Born May 19, 1887, in territory that is now Phoenix to German immigrants Frank Luke Sr. and Tillie Lubenow, Luke wasn’t any ordinary World War I pilot. A second lieutenant during his service, he was posthumously promoted to first lieutenant and is credited as the first airman to receive the Medal of Honor. The medal is on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Lt. Frank Luke Jr. of Arizona was posthumously recognized with the Medal of Honor and promoted from Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. rst to second lieutenant for his daring World War I victories, which include 18 downed aircrafts in an 18-day Aside from being honored with fiperiod. (Photo courtesy Luke Air Force Base) the nation’s highest designation, Luke has two Distinguished Service display at Phoenix Sky Harbor’s Terminal knows his story. Crosses – the second highest – to his name, 3, the Arizona-Mexico border’s Lukeville “People don’t know about him,” stressed is the namesake of Luke Air Force Base, is named in his honor and an air field at Litchfield Park resident Sandi Simon, of has a statue in front of the Arizona Capi- Pearl Harbor was at one point called Luke Legacy...continued on page 2 tol, a rebuilt SPAD XIII similar to his is on Field – the list goes on. Yet, not everyone
Raceway’s new president is only female leader By Garrison Murphy
NASCAR’s only female racetrack president, ISM Raceway’s Julie Giese, chalks up her new position to one thing: hard work. “It’s definitely something I’m extremely proud of, but for me it’s really that I work hard and do the best at any point of time with any job I am given,” Giese said. “It was about building a strong brand for myself and making sure that people know
that if they come to me or need something I’ve got it covered and that I can do the job. From day one it’s been ‘I’m going to put my head down, work hard and learn as much as I can.’” Giese was tapped for the position in October. When she began her role this month, she became only the second female NASCAR track president in history and the only current woman president. Giese’s
first major event, the Can-Am 500, will be part of the raceway’s opening weekend November 9 to November 11. “I’m excited to be joining the team and to get started. I think we have a lot of opportunity here and it’ll be a lot of fun,” Giese said. “We couldn’t be happier to an-
Leader...continued on page 4