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.
John Alan Frick ’65 – Family Returns to AHS to Honor Brother
March 30, 2019 by
The Frick sisters lost their brother 52 years ago, but still love and cherish the memories of their fresh-faced sibling who went off to the Vietnam War on March 10, 1967. Their 20-year-old brother lost his life less than two months later in the Dinh Tuong Province of South Vietnam.
The sisters of Private First Class John Alan Frick, Mary Schilling, Laura Puialoa and Kathy Ward returned on Friday, March 29, 2019, to Anaheim High, where their brother graduated in 1965, to received a Gold Star Lapel Pin as part of a U.S. Department of Defense Vietnam Commemorative program conducted by Congressman Lou Correa, an AHS Class of 1976 graduate who represents California’s 46th District of Anaheim, Garden Grove, Orange and Santa Ana. The event was supported by the school’s Alumni Association, the campus NJOTC program, the ASB 
Associated Student Body, Band, and other campus volunteers.
Other AHS K.I.A. families were also honored. More photos from the event may be seen here.
Additional information and photos of John Frick are available below:
John Alan FrickPrivate First Class John Alan Frick – AHS Class of 1965
A CO, 3RD BN, 47TH INFANTRY, 9TH INF DIV, USARV
Army of the United States
Anaheim, California
December 14, 1946 to May 02, 1967
Private First Class
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Anaheim, CA
Date of birth: 12/14/1946
MILITARY DATA
Service: Army of the United States
Grade at loss: E3
Rank: Private First Class
ID No: 56686138
MOS: 11B10: Infantryman
Length Service: 00
Unit: A CO, 3RD BN, 47TH INFANTRY, 9TH INF DIV, USARV
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: 03/10/1967
Incident Date: 05/02/1967
Casualty Date: 05/02/1967
Age at Loss: 20
Location: Dinh Tuong Province, South Vietnam
Remains: Body recovered
Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright
Casualty Reason: Ground casualty
Casualty Detail: Gun or small arms fire
2019 Reunions
March 27, 2019 by
Sept. 28 – Classes of 1954 – 65th reunion (1953 and 1955 Welcome)
Oct. 5 – Class of 1979 – 40th reunion
Oct. 12 – Class of 1989 – 30th reunion – www.ahs89reunion.com
Oct. 19 – Class of 1964 – 55th reunion
Oct. 19 – Class of 1969 – 50th reunion – spendfreak@aol.com
Oct. 20 – Class of 1959 – 60th reunion
Sept. 21 – Class of 1974 – 45th reunion – anaheimhs1974@gmail.com
Other Events
Oct. 11 – Homecoming game: Friday, Oct. 11, 2019 vs Century at Glover Stadium
Oct. 19 – AHSAA 8th Annual Colony Classic Car Show – Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019 – 10A-2P on AHS campus
2020
Oct. 16, 2020 – Class of 1970 – 50th reunion – SAVE THE DAY Friday, Oct. 16, 2020
www.anaheimcolonists.com
Michael Ray McCommons: A Son Lost, A Grandson Found
March 16, 2019 by
Michael McCommons’ name is inscribed on Line 36, of Wall Panel 13 East, on a black granite wall with the names of more than 58,000 men and women who gave their lives or remain missing in Vietnam.
Michael’s son, Glen Mulock, was 16 years old when the Vietnam War Memorial, dubbed “The Wall That Heals,” was dedicated in Washington D.C. on Nov. 13, 1982.
Born Oct. 6, 1966, Glen was put up for adoption after Michael was killed in Vietnam on Dec. 11, 1966. He grew up knowing his father was a soldier who gave his life for his country. Inspired by his father’s service, Glen joined the Marine Corps at age 17. Before going off to boot camp, he met the McCommons family, some of whom were unaware of his existence.
Michael and Glen’s mother, a university student, met at Leeds Shoe Store in the Anaheim Plaza, then an in-door mall that was a first for the city. The couple’s lives were drastically altered when Michael was drafted and left for his tour of duty on Oct. 22, 1965, as a member of the U.S. Army C Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. His Company was ambushed on a route north of Lai Khe, where Michael and 16 others in his company were killed during heavy combat.
Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Aug. 17, 1943, Michael’s family migrated to Orange County and made their home at 207 Vine Street. Like other youth growing up in Anaheim in the 1950s and ‘60s, Michael watched movies at Fox Theater, played sports, went to the beach, dated and attended school at Anaheim High. After graduating in 1961, Michael and his brother, John, traveled the world.
After his time in the Marines, Glen moved to Southern California and grew even closer to his birth father’s family. “I looked a lot like Mike, and I was able to provide healing to my grandparents and my birth mother. I was proud I could help with any little bit of healing from their loss of Mike.”
Glen said his grandmother is his hero. “My Grandmother (Francis) lost a brother in WWII and a son in Vietnam. Today, at age 99, she is still a strong woman of faith. She volunteered with her church and the Gold Star Mothers for years and brought strength to others.”
Michael, who is buried in the Anaheim Cemetery, is remembered by his sister, Debbie Nance McCommons, an AHS Class of ’77 graduate: “He is missed every day by his family and friends who will never forget his smile, humor, love of life and joy in living. We learn from his example.”
