Gold BlueOFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE ANAHEIM HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

WINTER 2020 Volume IX, Issue I

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Pool Dedicated to Legendary Coach Jon UrbanchekNEW AQUATICS CENTER A REALITY

SPLASH ZONE: The $13 million Aquatics Center includes a 38-meter-by-25-yard pool, a 2600-square-foot pool building, brand new locker rooms, and other upgrades.

A tidal wave of spirit and pride swept over Anaheim High with the dedication of the new Aquatics Center named for Jon Urbanchek, who coached swim and water polo teams at AHS between 1964 and 1978.

A true legend among swimming coaches, Urbanchek was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame 2008 and the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame 2010. He’s also a member of the AHS Hall of Fame, inducted in 2011.

AQUATICS continues on page 4…

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Campus Car Show a Huge Success

Bob Neamy ‘63 won “Best Pre-50’s” trophy for his 1928 Model A

This 1932 Ford Vicky is owned by David & Teri Tobar ‘62

Originalowner

Al Anton ‘65 drove this

1965 Mustang as a senior

at AHS

The picture perfect day featured over 86 colorful vehicles enjoyed by

hundreds of spectators

AHS Alum Bill Gann ‘64 with his 1966 VW Kombi Van

Ken Pirt ‘72 with his 1940 Ford

Alum Gene Coale with his 1970 VW convertible

Steve Vosburg ‘66 brought smiles as Orville Wright

Entry #1 was Lonnie ‘62 and Pam ‘64 Laster’s 21 window VW Micro Bus

“Principal’s Award” went to this 1940 Ford Woodie owned by Clint Stark ‘59

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Chris Kelly ‘66 showed this 1955 Chevy Nomad

Jess Villa ‘53 enjoyed this 1937 Chevy which is similar

to the one he drove while attending AHS

Jesse Barrera with his 1960 Impala, a full owner restoration. Jesse is dad to current Colonist baseball player Noah Barrera,

Class of 2020

Ryan Jara ‘90 has owned this ‘64 Impala for over 25 years

Basil (Bas) Dahl ‘58 and “best friend since age 16” Jim Wynn ‘57 next to Dahl’s “People’s Choice”

trophy winning 1959 wagon

Ruben Luna ‘93 brought this plush ‘57 Chevy 2002 alumnus Andrew Torres with

1964 Impala convertible

Crowd Pleasing Chevys Outnumbered Other Makes

Jessie Barrios ‘96 amazed with this lowered 1964 Impala

Melvin Miracle ‘66 with his 1971 C-10 pickup. He and wife Linda have owned

the truck for 40 years

Frank Feliz ‘66 sold a 1967 Dodge Coronet to buy this 1971 Nova in 1971

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Aquatics Center/Coach Urbanchek continued from page 1…

Colonist Swim Coach Denise Osorio Broke Records, Won Championships

Coach Urbanchek led his University of Michigan teams to 10 continuous years of Big Ten Championships, which came to be called the “Decade of Dominance,” a legendary record of success unmatched before and unlikely to be matched again in the history of college swimming.

At the Olympic level, Urbanchek coached 44 USA Olympians with 11 Gold medals, including four world record holders.

After a 13-year dry spell, students are now swimming in an Anaheim High pool under the direction of coach Denise Osorio, who has formed a winter team that began competing in February.

Legendary AHS swimming coach Jon Urbanchek with current swim coach Denise Osorio

Anaheim High’s new aquatics coach, Denise Osorio, has been passionate about water polo and swimming since she first entered the pool at Los Altos High School in Hacienda Heights.

It was Osorio’s father who encouraged her to join the Conquerors’ aquatics program because her twin brother was swimming and playing water polo. She took to the water like a fish and, in her senior year, she was a league champion in the 100 butterfly.

Osorio played her first season of competitive water polo on Los Altos High’s boys team because she had no other option. But the following season, she and three other female swimmers formed the core of the first girls water polo squad 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 live in Anaheim with their three children, ages 7, 6 and 2.

The dedication of the new Aquatics

Center reunited Coach Urbanchek with past Colonist

swimmers

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Save the Date!

Gold & Blue Editor: Janet (Young) Brown ‘77

Graphic Design & Printing:Nancy (Ott) Rennie ‘76

CLASS OF 1950 – 70th – April 26, 2020

CLASS OF 1955 – 65th – September 19, 2020

CLASS OF 1956 – Mini-Reunion October 2 & 3, 2020

Information Coming Soon for:Class of 2010 – 10th • Class of 1980 – 40th

20001956

19601970

2020 REUNIONSCLASS OF 1960 – 60th – October 3, 2020

CLASS OF 1970 – 50th – October 16, 2020

CLASS OF 2000 – 20th – August 1, 2020

All alumni are encouraged to subscribe to anaheimcolonists.com and join the AHSAA MailChimp

mailing list. Reunion information is also listed on the alumni website, along with details about other AHSAA events.

The AHSAA Mission is to serve as an Association of active alumni who help with donations, endowments, and as volunteers, to save and preserve AHS history and provide assistance to the Anaheim High Student Body by providing scholarships, supporting school programs and campus improvement projects, and by advancing Colonist Spirit, Pride & Tradition.

Save the Date!HOMECOMING IS SEPTEMBER 18th

GLOVER STADIUM

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Thank you for supporting Anaheim High School and its students. The AHS Alumni Association encourages yearly donations to continue its important work of awarding annual scholarships; supporting academic, athletic and performing arts programs; and preserving Anaheim High and its legendary spirit, pride and tradition.

The current AHSAA fiscal year is July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020. DONOR LEVELS: Renewal New Donor □ GRADUATE - $10 (available to alumni up to five years after graduation) □ BLUE - $25

□ GOLD - $50 (Colonist Tote)

□ COLONIST - $100 (Tote & T-Shirt)

□ SPIRIT - $250 (Tote with Colonist Collectibles & T-Shirt)

□ PRIDE - $500 (Tote with Colonist Collectibles, T-Shirt & Collectible Lapel Pin) □ LEGACY (Lifetime Membership) - $1000 (all of the above & listing on www.anaheimcolonists.com) (Note: Incentives available while supplies last. No incentives mailed for $100 donation.)

□ Additional donation to Dr. Paul Demaree Endowed Scholarship $ ________

□ Additional donation to Jan Harp Domene Endowed Scholarship $ ________ □ Additional donation to AHSAA Memorial Endowment $ ________ IN MEMORY/HONOR OF: ___________________________________ Class Year: _________ (Bio and photos welcome; mail with form or send digitally if possible.) Total Amount Enclosed: $____________ ============================================================================

Please print legibly! Check box if you wish to waive donor incentive: □

First:________________________________Maiden:__________________________Last:___________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________ Class Year: _______________ City: ___________________________________ State: _____________ Zip: _______________ T-Shirt Size: __________ (M-2X) E-Mail:____________________________________________ Phone: _________________________________________________

Mail form & check made payable to AHSAA to: P.O. Box 389, Anaheim, CA 92815 Or join online via www.anaheimcolonists.com/become-a-donor

Questions??? E-mail anaheimalumni@yahoo.com

AHSAA is a 501(c)3 organization - Tax ID No. 26-4323941

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SAVE THE DATE FOR APRIL 1

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ABOUT THE AHSAA The AHSAA is the official alumni organization for Anaheim High School and is recognized as such by the Anaheim Union High School District. The AHSAA is a 501(c)3 organization registered with the State of California and the Federal Government and donations are tax deductible (ID No.— 26-4323941).The organization is governed by a Board of Directors that follow bylaws and articles of incorporation. The fiscal year runs from July 1st through June 30th of the following year.The AHSAA official website is www.anaheimcolonists.com. Questions may be directed to anaheimalumni@yahoo.com.

Anaheim Library Big Read - Our Town Anaheim High School History PresentationAnaheim Public Library has invited the AHS Alumni Association to present a history of Anaheim High School on Wednesday, April 1, as part of the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) Big Read.

From March 14 to April 11, Anaheim Public Library will lead a community-wide reading and exploration of Thornton Wilders’ “Our Town,” a Pulitzer Prize winning play that tells the story of a fictional American small town through the everyday lives of its citizens.

In keeping with the play’s plotline, the Alumni Association presentation is titled “Anaheim High – The Lives & Times of Our Town’s Historic School.” The free program will begin at 6 p.m. at Anaheim’s Central Library, 500 W. Broadway.

Along with a slide presentation of archival photos from yearbooks, school newspapers, sports and performing arts programs, scrapbooks, and other ephemeral from the school’s 121-year history, the program will include a show-and-tell of never-before-seen pieces of Anaheim High’s extensive collection of memorabilia.

RSVP’s are encouraged by emailing anaheimalumni@yahoo.com or calling AHSAA President Janet Brown at 714-726-4372.

Since 2006, more than 5.7 million Americans have attended an NEA Big Read event.  Support for this program is also generously funded by Altrusa International of Anaheim, Kiwanis Club of Greater Anaheim, the Anaheim Public Library Foundation, the Friends of the Anaheim Public Library, and the Friends of the Canyon Hills Public Library.

Navy Lieutenants Eric Samoya (AHS 2010) and Reuben Azad (AHS 2009) are both US Naval Academy graduates who

are now students at Monterey Naval Postgraduate School studying for their master’s degrees. They are shown here with

Dr. John Knight, Anaheim High’s NJROTC Commander and Senior Science Instructor, who is also an Annapolis graduate.

US Naval Academy Class of 2020 graduate Jordan Agosta

(AHS 2015) will be stationed in Everett, Washington on the

USS Gridley.

AHS PRODUCES TOP ANNAPOLIS ALUMNINaval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corp

(NJROTC) providing pathway to higher

education