Oscar Gonzalez Brings Heart Back Home to AHS
July 27, 2019 by
Home is where the heart is and, for Class of 2001 Colonist Oscar Gonzalez, his heart is back home in Room 66 on the Anaheim High campus, where he is starting a new role as dance director for the 2019-20 class year and beyond.
Oscar began dancing at Anaheim High under instructor Meg Elder, who recently retired after a 35-year career.
His Anaheim dance experience also includes performing with the Anaheim Ballet and at Disneyland in “Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular.”
His horizons expanded when he moved to New York to study at the prestigious Joffrey Ballet School. While in New York, Oscar also trained a summer with the American Ballet Theater, which is considered one of the greatest dance companies in the world.
His ballet credits include, Cinderella, Napoli, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Nutcracker and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
In addition to ballet, Oscar is formally trained in jazz, lyrical, modern and contemporary dance styles. He has displayed his talents in numerous professional musical theater productions, including Hello Dolly, West Side Story, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, A Chorus Line, Evita and has been a principal in The Glory of Christmas at the Crystal Cathedral.
His dancing has also taken him across the globe to perform for the grand opening of the King Abdulah University of Science and Technology in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
His passion for teaching and sharing his art with young people led him to working internationally as a dance coach and choreographer, including a stop in Cape Town, South Africa, where he created a dance intensive for students from age 6 to 25.
Back home in Anaheim, he taught dance at Anaheim High for several years as a walk-on coach. He also gained extensive experience as the ballet director at McCoy Rigby Conservatory of the Arts in La Mirada, and at Smitty’s Performing Arts Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
Throughout his travels and adventures, Oscar continued his education to earn his bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from St. Mary’s College of California. He is currently working on his master’s degree in education.
Oscar said he is “beyond grateful” for the opportunity to teach dance at Anaheim High. “To go back to my roots and to be able to give back to Anaheim High has so much meaning for me,” he said. “Room 66 has been a home for so many, and now I get the chance to make it my home and a new home to many more artists.”
Anaheim Loses Lawrence Macaray – Class of 1938
July 19, 2019 by
Class of ’38 Colonist Lawrence “Larry” Macaray, an artist, teacher, art collector and author, passed away July 18, 2019, at age 98.
Like most talented artists, Macaray showed his aptitude as a child and was an accomplished artist by the time he was attending Anaheim Union High School in the 1930s.
He and another AUHS student, Arvin “Bud” Mahoney, were commissioned by the National Youth Administration to create a mural at the high school. Their work, “Youth at Play” was painted on the wall of the school’s art building.
A WWII Army veteran who served as a combat engineer, he married high school sweetheart, Kathleen Vincent (’42), on April 24, 1943, in Ainsworth, Nebraska, where he was stationed for training after enlisting in September 1942.
After the war, Larry attended Whittier College on the G.I. Bill. In 1954, he earned a master’s in art at Long Beach State College. His award-winning art was displayed at many galleries and museums in California and throughout the nation.
Along with working as a professional artist, Larry taught for seven years at Torrance High School and 26 years at El Camino College. He was also the Arts and Travel Editor for the Torrance Press-Herald.
Larry brought arts and culture to his hometown of Anaheim, when he and Kathy opened the City’s first art gallery on April 1, 1964, at 1425-C East 
Lincoln. They represented California artists, as well as national and international artists.
Later they combined their love of art and architecture by purchasing and renovating the historic Southern Plantation house at 1431 E. La Palma Avenue in Anaheim and moving their gallery into the ground floor of the home. Known as The De Sombre House after its first owner, the home is a City of Anaheim designated “Historically Significant Structure.”
The experience inspired Larry to write a history about the home, entitled The De Sombre House – Orange Blossoms Into Art, which was published in 1994. He also published Sketches from an Irish Detour detailing his travels throughout Europe.
Larry’s children, David and Peggy, also graduated from AHS from the classes of 1962 and 1964, respectively.
Truly a renaissance man, Lawrence Macaray will be remembered by his Colonists classmates for his kind, generous nature and his cultural legacy.
Alumni Across Generations Join for 2019 Membership Drive Kick-Off
July 15, 2019 by
A great time was had by all who attended the AHSAA 2019-2020 “Game Night” Membership Drive Kick-Off Party. Along with games, memorabilia, and sharing high school memories, the event was the perfect occasion for awarding scholarships to the 2019 AHSAA Spirit Award winners.
Anaheim High’s Shigekawa Family
July 15, 2019 by
The Shigekawa family is a Japanese American pioneer family from Anaheim.
Kiyoshi Shigekawa was a 1930 graduate of Anaheim High School. 
Marlene graduated in 1962 and her older brother and younger sister are also graduates of Anaheim High.
Marlene is project manager of the Poston Community Alliance and a Board Member of the Poston Preservation Project. She is also an author and documentary film maker.
She was born in the Poston, Arizona Japanese American incarceration camp during WWII and her baby bracelet is now a part of the Japanese American collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
2019 Spirit Award Winners Carrying Forward Colonist Pride & Tradition
May 26, 2019 by
Thanks to the generosity of Anaheim High’s alumni, 12 new 2019 graduates are the recipients of $12,000 in AHSAA Spirit Awards. These top scholars will be attending colleges throughout Southern California, including UCLA. Recipients include: Marcos Cardona – Paul Demaree Scholarship, Gisselle Estrada Diaz – Jan Domene Scholarship, Samantha Patlan – Alumni Breakfast Scholarship. Others are: Melissa Herrera Vazquez, Marie Fernandez, Natalie Leticia Olivares, Marie Mata, , Melissa Dayana Contreras Monte, Griselle De La Cruz , Raymond Ordiano, Eric Reyes, Jesenia De Jesus Vargas-Sandoval.
Anaheim alumnus Principal Robert Saldivar ’96 welcomes Class of 2019 Colonist seniors to annual awards ceremony.
AHS Athletic Director Alfonso Rodriguez ’94 congratulates Marcos Cardona, winner of the AHS Principal Paul Demaree Scholarship.
AHSAA Board Member Barbara Vary presented Natalie Olivares with a Spirit Award Scholarship.
Melissa Herrera-Vazquez will be attending UCLA in Fall 2019.
Twelve Colonist seniors won $12,000 in AHSAA scholarships.
AHS Athletic Director Alfonso Rodriguez ’94 is a member of the AHSAA Board of Directors and teaches history classes at the Colony.
2019 Spirit Award winners on Cook Auditorium stage
An AHSAA Spirit Award will help Eric Reyes achieve his educational goals.
AHSAA President Janet Brown ’77 presented a scholarship to Jesenia Vargas-Sandoval.
Melissa Contreras Montes is a 2019 Spirit Award winner.
Geri McGuff ’64 served on the Scholarship Committee that selected Raymond Ordiano as a Spirit Award Winner.
Samantha Patlan was the winner of the Alumni Breakfast Club scholarship.
Gerri McGuff’ 64 with Giselle De La Cruz.
Joaquin Valdepeñas ’73 Receives CSUF Distinguished Alumnus Award
May 6, 2019 by
Joaquin Valdepeñas, a Class of ’73 Colonist alumnus, received a Distinguished Alumnus Award from CSU Fullerton, where he graduated in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in music performance.
Principal clarinetist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Valdepeñas is considered one of the most distinguished clarinetists of his generation. As a soloist and recitalist, he has been principal clarinetist in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra since 1980. He also is a founding member of the Grammy-nominated Amici Chamber Ensemble. He recently returned to CSUF to teach classes for maturing clarinetists.
His dozens of recordings have earned two JUNO awards and three Grammy nominations. He has performed with Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Leif Ove Andsnes and Kathleen Battle, as well as the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio.
A native of Torreon, Mexico, Valdepeñas grew up in Anaheim, where he began studying the clarinet with the Anaheim High school band at 13, using a borrowed instrument. After completing his studies at CSUF, he was admitted to the prestigious music performance program at Yale University, where he earned his master’s degree.
Established in 1994, the Vision & Visionaries awards are the highest honors that the university bestows on alumni and community supporters.
Be A Sport! – Support Anaheim High’s Campaign to Build a 21st Century Athletic Complex!
May 5, 2019 by
The Anaheim High School Alumni Association is launching a campaign to upgrade the school’s athletic facilities to coincide with the grand opening of a new aquatics center in 2019.
While the new swimming pool and upgrades to gym locker rooms are being funded by the Anaheim Unified School District, monies to cover improvements to the athletic fields, gymnasium and a fitness center need to be raised from other sources.
Plans for the athletic fields include new baseball dugouts, synthetic football and soccer fields, a rubber track, lighting, fencing and bleachers to replace the recently demolished Clayes Stadium.
Upgrades to the 80-year-old gymnasium will include a new HVAC system, bleachers, wall art, league title banners, baffles to improve acoustics, interior and exterior paint.
A new fitness center, which will soon be named after the donor and 1967 graduate Jim Fassel, is in need of a new cooling system, windows and other minor improvements. Fassel donated new flooring and fitness equipment valued at approximately $250,000.
A dedicated core of Anaheim High alumni administrators, teachers, staff and are behind the project, including AHS Principal Robert Saldivar ‘96, athletic directors Lanny Booher ’80 and Al Rodriguez ’94, plus numerous alumni coaches, teachers and staff members. The AHSAA will also be working alongside the 3,000-member student body to help improve the sports facilities.
“Anaheim High embraces its past, but we also want to make sure the Colonist community has access to 21st century facilities,” said Principal Saldivar. “Our athletes need to be able to compete on a level playing field. Schools throughout Orange County are training and playing on synthetic fields, which are becoming the standard.”
Saldivar, who played baseball while attending Anaheim, noted that Anaheim High is located in the heart of the Colony District, and the track, athletic fields and new swimming pool will also benefit local residents.
He added that the athletic complex, particularly the gymnasium, serves as a community evacuation site. “It’s not just a matter of aesthetics. We need to make sure we’re in the best position to serve the Anaheim community.
“Our students will be participating in fundraising at some level, and they are counting on the community and all alumni to pull together and support this effort,” said Saldivar.
Corporate donors are being sought and fund raising projects will be introduced throughout 2018 to raise the needed $5 million price tag. One such fundraiser is the sale of chunks of Clayes Stadium for $20 each.
For additional information, email anaheimalumni@yahoo.com or call AHSAA President Janet Brown – 714-726-4372.
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- Current state of athletic fields. The fields require watering at least four days a week, but the sprinkler system needs repairs and is not operating efficiently.
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- The turns, according to several track and field coaches, are closer to 90 degrees and not well rounded. It takes a good 6 hours to prep the dirt and lines for a home track meet.
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- The grass fields need constant maintenance. A synthetic field would reduce costs.
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- AHS teams are competing against schools that are training and playing on synthetic turn and rubber tracks.
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- Our baseball fields are not level, so when the fields are watered, muddy puddles of water form in both home and visitor dugouts.
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- The athletic fields need to be enclosed and laser-leveled to prevent daily puddles of water.
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- The major issue in the 80-year-old gym is acoustics. Sound issues, such as players not being able to hear their coaches, can be improved with hanging baffles.
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- More than 40 local elementary-age students participated in AHS free Saturday basketball camps that included conditioning drills and competitive games with current coaches and players.
Vietnam AHS Veteran George Tallman
April 9, 2019 by
George Tallman attended Anaheim High as a sophomore and part of his junior year. Had he graduated, he would be Class of 1963. Graduate or not, George is a Colonist Fallen Hero and AHS alumnus.
His brother, Bill, provided information and photo of Geroge, who died in Vietnam on April 9, 1967.
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Buried in Huntington Beach
AHS Vietnam Veterans Honored at Campus Ceremony
March 31, 2019 by
AHS Class of ’76 graduate Congressman Lou Correa honored and celebrated Vietnam War-period veterans, as well as several Anaheim High Gold Star Families, at a pinning ceremony presented March 29 on the Colonist Campus The commemorative event included presentations of a Service Lapel Pins and other tributes to publicly thank and honor Vietnam veterans and their families on behalf of the nation. The event was supported by the AHSAA, ASB, Band, and other volunteers.
