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Show Page 12 The Ogden Valley News Volume XXX Issue VI June 1, 2023 Weber High: No Ordinary School... 20 Years Ago: Weber Announces Changes at District Office –Valley Elementary No Ordinary Before Students the seniors moved their tassel from By Shanna Francis Years ago, a large poster hung on the ceiling at Weber for students to see when they walked into the Weber High commons area. It was a quote from a teacher who was an institution at Weber High—Tom Moore. It stated, “Weber High is no ordinary school.” On May 22, 2003, 648 students from Weber High School graduated. During the commencement ceremony held at the Dee Event Center, principal Christ Earnest shared with the audience a number of Weber High achievements awarded to students who make up the class of 2023, proving once again that, truly, Weber High is no ordinary school. • 186 CTE Pathways Completers • 196 Seniors took an AP Class • 416 Seniors earned 4,134 Concurrent Enrollment Credits • 1 State Sterling Scholar winner in the Business and Marketing category: Raegan Rogers • 1 State Sterling Scholar top 5 昀椀nalist, Kallie Gibby, in World Languages • Kambria Neumeyer earned her associate degree while being concurrently enrolled • Eden DeVries took First in the 100 hurdles at state and set a new state record with a time of 14.04 seconds. • Weber High students earned over $8,082,952.92 in scholarships! SALUTATORIAN cont. from page 1 past seven years. She is the oldest of four, and daughter of Kyle and Danielle Komenda. Ava has played club volleyball and piano for ten years, shreds on guitar, crochets, and started an e-commerce business. She’s both athletic and artistic. In addition, both wakeboards and snowboards. Basically, Ava can do just about anything! Yes, Ava is a big deal. She likes to eat lemons, just for fun. And, apparently, she can one side to the other, Principal Earnest offered the following words of counsel to the soon-tobe graduates. She noted that in life, from a very young age, kids are asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” However, there is a more important question that should be asked: Who do we want to be when we grow up? What kind of person and with what character traits and attributes? Caring, compassionate, helpful, full of integrity, hardworking, honest, etc.? There are too many positive character traits to compile a comprehensive list! But all have the power to decide… to decide who they will be when they “grow up.” Principal Earnest then went on to suggest eight ideas to adopt that can help a person become their best self! They are paraphrased and summarized below: 1. Do something enjoyable each day. 2. Be kind to others. 3. Dream big! 4. Find the humor in every situation. 5. By analyzing your gifts and talents, discover your purpose in life and work on perfecting the purpose or purposes you are engaged in. 6. Give to others and the communities you are a part of so you can make a positive difference for good. 7. Remember to slow down and take a deep breath when things get hectic and crazy! 8. Live the “Warrior Way!” In other words, be who you are meant to be, with the emphasis on “be!” Be active in whatever community you are a part of—your family, church, school, town, or city, etc. Be involved and connected—checked in and active... a strength and mentor for others. Be a positive example. Be a player versus only a watcher. Get off the sidelines and into the game. Go out and fight the good fight for a cause worth battling for. You got this! Congratulations Weber High Students. May you continue to live the Warrior Way. Set your goals high, dream of new challenges, and step where no one else has dared walk before. May you create new opportunities for yourselves, and search and find new ways to serve humanity. Photo courtesy of Becky Wood. read Kurrentschrift—an 18th century form of Austrian calligraphy. Ava will soon be heading to Brigham Young University on a full scholarship, where she will work towards a degree in genetics and biotechnology. She says her life goal is to make a difference by using her talents to help other people, and to start a family. Her message to her graduating classmates? Know that “Life is tough but you can overcome those challenges and grow!” Congratulations, Ava! By Shanna Francis On May 28, 2003, the Weber School District announced the names of district employees who will fill positions at the district office. A number of these changes will affect employees from Ogden Valley. Linda Carver of Eden has accepted a position as Assistant Superintendent for the Weber School District. Carver has been serving as Director of Student Services for the past 4½ years. Bob Wood of East Huntsville will fill Carver’s position in Student Services, leaving his post as District Supervisor of Elementary Education. Pat Thomas of Eden has been named Supervisor of Human Resources. Former Valley Elementary principal Roger Bailey of Liberty has been promoted to Supervisor of Elementary Education at the district office. Former Weber High assistant principal Tommy Lee of Huntsville will succeed Bailey. Weber State Honors 4 Inspiring Utahns with Honorary Degrees For their achievements in education, business, government, and community leadership, Weber State University recognized four outstanding Utahns with honorary degrees during its 160th commencement ceremony held April 28 at the Dee Event Center. Recipient Steve Starks was also this year’s commencement speaker. Starks is a Weber State alum who once served as WSU student body president. Formerly of Eden, Starks is currently the CEO of The Larry H. Miller Company. He Steve Starks also served as president of the Utah Jazz and Larry H. Miller Sports and Entertainment. Active in the community, Starks works as Gov. Spencer Cox’s Olympic and Paralympic advisor and is the chair of EDCUtah. He was appointed to the Utah Board of Higher Education in 2022, is a past chair of the Salt Lake Chamber Board of Directors, and served on the WSU Board of Trustees. Other honorary degrees were awarded to Javier Chavez Sr., founder of Javier’s, Inc., a chain of seven restaurants that serve authentic Mexican food. He grew up poor on a small ranch near Javier Chavez Sr. Zacatecas, Mexico, where he learned to work hard and overcame challenges, which would carry over into his pursuit to become an American entrepreneur. Before his award-winning achievements in dining, Chavez was a studentathlete at WSU, who recruited him after noticing his track talents as a national 1500-meter champion in Mexico. He graduated from WSU in 1984 and was inducted into the WSU Hall of Fame in 2001. Forrest Crawford and Karen Mayne were also awarded honorary degrees. Legendary Jazz Group Preservation Hall Comes to Ogden July 27 Onstage Ogden will present legendary New Orleans ensemble Preservation Hall Jazz Band July 27, 2023 at the Ogden Amphitheater. For over 50 years, Preservation Hall Jazz Band has been the standard-bearer of New Orleans jazz, touring the world and bringing the joyful sounds of the Big Easy to audiences everywhere. Founded in 1961 by Allan and Sandra Jaffe, Preservation Hall Jazz Band has recorded over 30 albums and collaborated with musicians ranging from the Grateful Dead to the Foo Fighters. “Bringing an act like Preservation Hall Jazz Band to Ogden is great for us and great for the community,” said James Fredrick, Executive Director of Onstage Ogden. “Their performances are a party and their music a celebration.” The summer performance will be the first of the local nonprofit’s 2023/2024 season lineup. Previously announced performances include Audra McDonald with the Utah Symphony, Utah’s own The 5 Browns, and high-flying Cirque Mechanics. Tickets for Preservation Hall start at $39 and will be available as part of a subscription package beginning May 9, with individual tickets going on sale May 30. Visit onstageogden. org or call 801-399-9214 for more details. Onstage Ogden - With the mission to energize and engage the greater Ogden community, Onstage Ogden is the largest nonprofit arts and entertainment presenter in Weber County. Originally founded in 1949 to present the Utah Symphony in Ogden, today the organization presents the world’s finest music and dance. Learn more at OnstageOgden.org. Join us for June’s First Friday Street Stroll! Ogden’s First Friday Art Stroll is scheduled for June 2, 2023, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Activity locations include Union Station, Historic 25th Street, and The Monarch, and the fun continues with stops at the Junction, Washington Blvd., and the Eccles Art Center. There are two new art stroll stops starting in June. Historic Tattoo Shop on Historic 25th Street and Ruby Relics on Grant Avenue. Ogden City Arts is excited to be adding to the stroll experience. There is a pop-up stop at Lester Park that will feature art pieces. The art show will also feature locals of all ages. Art stroll maps are updated quarterly. You can get yours at any stop on the stroll. The summer edition will be delivered next week. As always, the community is encouraged to use the hashtag #OgdenSharesArt to show the Ogden Arts Community any personal creations or to share inspiring arts and culture images. Using the hashtag as a virtual option provides an avenue to engage with other artists in Ogden and see the exciting artworks being created. To learn about locations that participate in the monthly stroll, pick up an art stroll map at Union Station and The Local Artisan Collective. Follow the social media outlets listed below for further details of the events. Social Media IG - Ogden_Arts / The_Corner_Ogden FB – OgdenCityArts / TheCorner Website: ogdencity.com/770/First-Friday-ArtStroll About Ogden City Arts - Ogden City Arts supports the belief that the artsare an integral part of a healthy culture, providing both intellectual nourishment and social benefit, and that community arts programs provide significant value both to communities and to artists. Ogden City Arts’ mission is to enrich the lives of Ogden residents and visitors by ensuring access to visual, performing, and literary arts and arts education. In supporting arts organizations and independent artists Ogden City Arts works to connect the arts to daily life, education, and economic development. |