Alumni Take a Leap Day Dip in New Aquatics Center

February 29, 2020 by

On Feb. 29, 2020, alumni ranging  from Class of 1932 to 2018  took a dip in the new Anaheim High Jon Urbanchek Aquatics Center swimming pool as part of a Leap Day Swim-A-Thon.  They joined 100-plus student swimmers, coaches, teachers, administrators and community members who attended the event to support the new swim program.

Anaheim High last had a competitive team in 1991, and the pool was drained in 2009, the same year the Alumni Association was formed. Once it was known the pool in out of operation, a “Bring Back the Splash” campaign was started with Jan Domene (’69) heading the effort as president of the AHSAA, and later, an AUHSD trustee, who unfortunately passed away before seeing her dream become a reality.

In December of 2019 the pool was christened with a naming ceremony for legendary AHS Coach Jon Urbanchek. A month later, new swim coach Denise Osorio was handed the keys, and six weeks later a team of swimmers began competing. A water polo team will be formed in coming months.

Since 2009, alumni have donated approximately $25,000 toward the Bring Back the Splash campaign. The Feb. 29, 2020 Leap Day Swim-A-Thon was the culmination of a decade of effort to  have an operational swimming pool at Anaheim High. Congratulations to all who joined this grass roots effort to bring the amazing Anaheim High Aquatics Center to life.

Finally, thanks for all the hard work by everyone involved at the AUHSD, the construction team, the AHS staff and student body who endured two years of construction and all the neighbors surrounding Anaheim High!

Filed Under: AHS History, Colonist News

John Motzkus – May 20, 1934 – Feb. 2, 2020

February 23, 2020 by

John Motzkus, a teacher and Anaheim High’s activities director from 1970 to 1996, passed away Feb. 2, 2020, three months short of his 86th birthday.

Following is a tribute provided by his family:

John Ervin Motzkus, beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend, passed away Feb. 2, 2020 in Los Angeles (Eagle Rock), CA.  He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Nancy Motzkus of Eagle Rock; 2 daughters Melani (David) Carty of Lovettsville, VA and  Heidi Motzkus (wife of Steven Fiorillo) of Eagle Rock; 2 grandchildren, Jonathan and Christiana Carty;  sister-in-laws Jolene Motzkus of Elkhorn, NE  and Shirley Christiansen of Omaha, NE;  nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.

Born in Globe, Wisconsin on May 20, 1934, John was preceded in death by parents Rev. Walter A. and Eva (Tolles) Motzkus; brothers Richard and Paul Motzkus; and sisters Ruth Bronder and Lois O’Leary.

John later lived in La Crosse, WI; Leigh, NE; and Omaha, NE where he graduated from Omaha South High in 1951 and the University of Nebraska, Omaha in 1955.

He also lived in San Francisco for a few months in 1955 while awaiting the draft.  He was in the Army at Monteith Kesserne near Nuremberg, Germany in 1956-57.

In April, 1960 John married Nancy Christiansen in Omaha, NE.  They met in an English history class at UNO in 1958 as John had gone back to college for a teaching credential after the Army.  He  taught at Ashland Park School in Omaha in 1960-61.  Then he and Nancy moved to Southern California pulling a U-Haul trailer west on Old Route 66 with no air conditioning!

They landed in Santa Ana, CA in Aug. 1961, and John taught at McFadden Jr. High (1961-62).  The following year he took a teaching position at Savannah High School (1962-70) in the Anaheim Union High School District.

In 1969 John earned a M.A. degree in Social Studies and a M.S. degree in School Administration from California State University, Fullerton, CA and transferred to Anaheim High School where he was Activities Director and teacher from 1970-96.

John was President of the Anaheim Secondary Teachers Association (ASTA) in 1971-72.  He was an inspiration to so many of his teaching colleagues.  His legacy of work and advocacy for issues of fairness and decency made a real impact on teachers and students.

He retired from the AUHSD in 1996 after 37 years of teaching in CA.  He continued with the district after retirement teaching English as a Second Language at Trident Adult Education Center.  He loved teaching adult education.  He also loved ballroom dancing, writing, drawing, poetry, chess, ping-pong, and cooking his favorite meals for the family. He was an admirer of Mark Twain and Willie Nelson.

John and Nancy lived in Orange County for 53 years before moving from Anaheim Hills, CA to Los Angeles County in 2014.

John was cremated and his ashes will be scattered at the Headwaters of the Missouri River in Montana along with the ashes of his beloved dog, Ike.  His grace, humor, knowledge and loving nature will be sorely missed.

Memorial donations may be made to The Braille Institute at their Anaheim or Los Angeles locations.

Filed Under: In Memory Tagged With: , ,

Meet Anaheim’s New Swim Coach Denise Osorio

February 8, 2020 by

Water polo and swimming has been a passion of Anaheim High’s new swim coach, Denise Osorio, since she entered the pool at Los Altos High School in Hacienda Heights.

Her father encouraged to join the school’s aquatics program because her twin brother was swimming playing water polo. She took to the water like a fish and, in her senior year, she won the league championship in the 100 butterfly.

She competed on the boys’ water polo team because there wasn’t a girls’ team until the following season, when she and three other female swimmers formed a team, the first in the school’s history.

After graduating from Los Altos in 2003, she attended Citrus College, where she swam and played water polo, breaking school records for most goals and assists. She was also named a scholar athlete and received Athlete of the Year.

Denise was offered a scholarship to play for New York’s Sienna College but opted to stay in California and attend Cal State San Bernardino. During this time she coached water polo at the high school level and was an official for high school swimming and water polo meets.

She graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in English and is currently a specialized instructional assistant at Anaheim High. She is married to Class of 2000 Colonist Rafael Osorio. They are living in Anaheim with their three children ages 7, 6 and 2 years old.

Filed Under: AHS History, Colonist News

2020 Reunions

January 14, 2020 by

2020 AHS REUNIONS – Postponed

 Class of 1950 – 70th – Sunday, April 26, 2020

Class of 1955 – 65th – Sat., September 19, 2020 – Postponed to March 27, 2021

Class Of 1956 – Mini-Reunion Friday, Saturday, October 2 & 3, 2020.

Class of 1960 – 60th – Saturday, October 3, 2020 – 11am-4pm.

Class of 1970 – 50th  – Friday, October 16, 2020 – Postponed to Friday, Oct. 22, 2021 – Anaheimhs1970@gmail.com

Class Of 2000 – 20th – Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020 – ahsco2000@yahoo.com

 

Info. coming soon

Class of 2010 – 10th

Class of 1980 – 40th

Class of 1965 –  55th

Anaheim H.S. Alumni Association
anaheimalumni@yahoo.com
www.anaheimcolonists.com
“SPIRIT, PRIDE, TRADITION”
Filed Under: Reunions Tagged With: , , , , ,

Alabamy Bound

November 28, 2019 by
Filed Under: AHS History

Class of 2013 Antonio Garcia Thankful for Spot on U.S. Olympic Boxing Team Trials

November 28, 2019 by

If you ask Anaheim boxer Antonio Garcia what he’s grateful for this Thanksgiving, his answer will be the City of Anaheim Police Department Cops 4 Kids (C4K) program.

A 2013 Anaheim High graduate, Garcia has been boxing since age 15, when he joined the Anaheim Boxing Club, a joint program of the Anaheim Community Services Department and Cops 4 Kids. He credits the mentors he’s met through the program for shaping him into the man he is today, a 165-pound super middleweight boxer who recently earned a spot in the Olympic Team Trials.

2019 has been a very good year for Garcia. Along with earning a place in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Boxing, scheduled for Dec. 7-15, in Lake Charles, Louisiana, he also won the 2019 State Golden Gloves Championship and he placed No. 2 at the 2019 National Golden Gloves.

Currently ranked No. 4 in the nation by USA Boxing, the 24-year-old elite boxer has come a long way from the teenage boy who joined the C4K Anaheim Boxing Club to defend himself from bullies.

“The program taught me the skills on how to defend myself if I was ever put in that situation. Thankfully, I have not had to use those skills,” Garcia conveyed via email.

“This program has kept me off the streets and into a productive environment where I have flourished. In the program, my health has improved tremendously,” he said. “I used to eat terribly and was a little heavier. Now, I am in control of my diet and have come down to a healthy weight.”

He’ll take a day off for Thanksgiving, but then Garcia will at the Downtown Anaheim Youth Center boxing ring training for the tryouts in Louisiana, where he will compete against “the best of the best” for a spot on Team USA Boxing at the Tokyo Olympics

“The Cops 4 Kids boxing program has impacted me greatly,” said Garcia. “I am truly grateful to have had this program in my life.”

Filed Under: Alumni Spotlight Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

2019 Colony Classic Car Show

October 21, 2019 by

The historic Anaheim High Campus  came alive  for the 2019 Colony Classic Car Show on Saturday, Oct. 19. ! The roar of engines, classic rock music and good conversation among fellow Colonists and classmates (some who hadn’t returned since graduating decades ago) filled the entire central court yard and surrounding open spaces.  (Photos from the day are included in the slide show below. )

Presented by the Anaheim High School Alumni Association, under the direction of Board Member Debbie Vidana, this Colonist celebration raised funds for the AHSAA “Spirit Award” scholarship program. Last year the Alumni Association awarded $16,500 in scholarships and, over the past decade, has given back  more than $300,000 to Anaheim High.

The Colony Classic Car Show also provided an opportunity for school clubs and programs to raise funds, while meeting Anaheim High alumni nnd hosting their neighbors, family and friends.

Along with viewing close to 100 classic cars — many owned by AHS graduates — attendees enjoyed memorabilia from the school’s 121-year history, food provided by the Anaheim Lions Club and Case Garcia Restaurant, a silent auction with fantastic prizes, many provided by City of Anaheim Councilmembers, performances by the award-winning AHS Cheer Team, and an awards ceremony with hand-crafted trophies presented to 10 classic car owners.

Winners included Best of Show winners Clint and Renee Breads for their 1937 Olds Club Coupe; Best Pre-50’s, Robert Neamy (’63), 1928 Ford Sedan; Best 60’s, Harry Rieger, 1963 Corvette Sting Ray; Best Foreign, Richard Roland, 1968 VW Karmen Ghia; Best Truck, Tony Messick, 1966 Chevy C-10 Fleetside; Best Design, Ruben Luna, 1957 Chevy Belair; Best Low-Rider, Chuy Barrera, 1960 Chevy Impala; Principal’s Choice, Clint Stark (’59), 1940 Ford Woodie; Alumni Choice, Rod Dixon, 1932 Ford 3W Coupe; People’s Choice, Basil Dahl (’58), 1959 Chevy S/W.

Without community and alumni support, the Car Show would not be possible. Extra thanks to CHAMPION  sponsors Anaheim Public Utilities and the Fisher and Vary Families; LEGACY  sponsors Anaheim Firefighters Association, Paul Kott Realtors represented by Jackie Garibay, and former AHSAA president and founding member Gerald Woodward (’59).

COLONY & TROPHY sponsors included  Anaheim’s new Raising Cane’s, Scott (”73) & Janet Brown (’77), Patti Hirahara (’73) and Jimmy Oregel (’72). Thank you to all and enjoy these photos from the  8th AHSAA Colony Classic Car Show!

Filed Under: AHS History, Colonist News

Ruby’s Fundraiser – Oct. 10-20 2019

September 30, 2019 by

Click here for the PDF version: Ruby’s AHS Alumni Association flyer-10-10 – 20, 2019

Filed Under: Events

Anaheim High Remembers Japanese Students Displaced by WWII

August 25, 2019 by

The story of Japanese students ,who were unable to complete their education at Anaheim Union High School (AUHS) due to their forced relocation to WWII incarceration camps, was remembered by more than 800 attendees of an Aug. 24 event at  Cook Auditorium.

“The Poston Experience – Paving the Way for the Next Generations”  provided a rare opportunity to witness the testimony of  Anaheim families who were incarcerated in the camps, including the mother and father of AUHS District Superintedent Mike Matsuda.

The program included remarks from special guest speaker Gania Demaree-Trotter, a 1944 graduate whose father, Dr. Paul H. Demaree, was principal of Anaheim Union High School from 1941 to 1954. Her speech garnered a standing ovation.

Attendees also viewed a documentary film presentation about the Shigekawa family, Anaheim pioneers who were represented by AHS Class of 1962 graduate Marlene Shigekawa. Marlene  is president of the Poston Community Alliance and is active in preserving the legacy of the Poston, Arizona, camp where she was born.

Other panelists included Don Miyada, a WWII Congressional Gold Medal and Professor Emeritus of Clinical Chemistry at the University of California Irvine;  Korean War veteran Robert M. Wada, a trailblazer in the Orange County Japanese American community; and Tom Leatherman, a  representative of the National Park Service Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program.

This unknown chapter  of Anaheim High’s history had never been featured in a major educational event until now, according to Patti Hirahara, a Class of ’73 AHS grad who was the event coordinator and moderator. To heighten the learning experience,  Patti  included a musical backdrop for the event that featured recordings of  songs from the Poston era performed by Anaheim Elementary School District children and popular tunes from the 1940s sang by the Anaheim High Las Sirenas Advanced Women’s Choir. The event also included a production by the AHS Dance Team entitled “Cherry Blossom.”

In addition, a new and original 10 minute documentary produced by the Anaheim Union High School District Summer Film Academy students entitled, “Remember Us: An Historic Chapter at Anaheim High School,” made its debut at “The Poston Experience” program.

In conjunction with the Anaheim High event, a City of Anaheim’s new original exhibition – “I Am An American – Japanese Incarceration in a Time of  Fear,” will run from Aug. 25 through Nov. 3 at the Muzeo Museum & Cultural Center.

Here are photos from the Aug. 24 event at Anaheim High:

Filed Under: AHS History, Events, Photo Galleries

Educational Program by Anaheim High Alumni Designed to Preserve the Legacy of Relocated Japanese American Families

August 14, 2019 by

The story of Japanese and American-born students of Japanese ancestry, who were unable to complete their education at Anaheim Union High School due to their forced relocation to WWII incarceration camps, will be remembered as part of  Aug. 24 admission-free event at Cook Auditorium.

Anaheim High graduates organizing “The Poston Experience – Paving the Way for the Next Generations” say this unique program will illustrate how the stories of minority students from 75 years ago are strikingly similar to experiences faced by many of today’s generation.

The 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. program will offer a rare opportunity to hear special guest speaker Gania Demaree-Trotter, a 1944 graduate whose father, Dr. Paul H. Demaree, was principal of Anaheim Union High School from 1941 to 1954.

Cook Auditorium was a second home for Gania, who was a performing arts student and, later, a music teacher at her alma mater. Her return to the Cook stage is an occasion being celebrated and embraced by Anaheim High alumni, especially her students from the 1950s.

To preserve the legacy of these Japanese and Japanese-American students, the majority of whom were sent to Poston, Arizona, this two-hour program will feature Orange County leaders who went to Poston during WWII, as well as a special presentation about an Anaheim pioneer family represented by AHS Class of 1962 graduate Marlene Shigekawa. Marlene will talk about her family and her work in preserving the legacy of the Poston, Arizona camp where she was born.

Other panelists include Don Miyada, Robert M. Wada, and Tom Leatherman, who is representing the National Park Service Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program.

This unknown chapter has never been featured in a major educational event until now, according to Patti Hirahara, a Class of ’73 AHS grad who is the event coordinator and moderator.

To heighten the learning experience, recordings of  songs from the Poston era and popular tunes from the 1940s will provide a musical backdrop for the event. Performers include Anaheim Elementary School District children and the Anaheim High Las Sirenas Advanced Women’s Choir.

In addition, a new and original 10 minute documentary produced by the Anaheim Union High School District Summer Film Academy students entitled, “Remember Us: An Historic Chapter at Anaheim High School, will make its debut at “The Poston Experience” program.

For a nominal fee, persons who attend the August 24th morning program will be given an opportunity to be part of a sneak preview of the City of Anaheim’s new original exhibition – “I Am An American – Japanese Incarceration in a Time of  Fear,” which will run from Aug. 25 through Nov. 3 at the Muzeo Museum & Cultural Center.

For further information e-mail: anaheimalumni@yahoo.com or phone: (714) 392-2103. The event can also be found on Facebook @AZPostonAHS.

Filed Under: AHS History
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