Sea Cadets commission Carson City unit

The U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps Carson City Division was officially commissioned June 4 at a ceremony held at the Carson City Senior Citizens Center.

The cadet corps is under the command of Lt.j.g. Robert Bledsaw, who in one year has seen membership grow to more than 50 youth. Success of the program has been noticed by "higher-ups" in the military.

The program is designed to instill leadership, cohesiveness, self-esteem, responsibility, and to help students follow their dreams. They are required to be enrolled in school, but they are not required to enlist in the military.

Bledsaw can be reached on his cell phone at 720-1156 or e-mail at thepipinpadre@charter.net. Information on the sea cadet program can be viewed at www.seacadets.org.

Youth ages 10-1/2 to 13 are called "leaguers," ages 14-18 are called "sea cadets."

DanceSpirit shared some awards that their students won recently. Taylor Tucker was selected "Ms. Teen Dance USA" at a Dance USA competition in Reno on June 5. Also selected to be on the USA Dance Team were Tucker, Kenzie Tillitt, Rebecca Jolly and Linsey Wegener.

In May, Cheynee Kiser, 10, and Jolly, 15, won a dance training session for their solos "Starpowers Power Pak" while competing in San Diego. In April, Karenz Strode, 10, won "Jr. Sweetheart" in Sacramento during a dance competition for three solos in tap, choreography and jazz and lyrical.

Jolly also received a $1,000 scholarship from Stars of Tomorrow for a competition in Minden for her solo "Skakalaka Baby."

Wegener, 17, won "Triple Crown" for her three solos and also received the overall high score for "Love is a Battlefield" at the Spotlight Dance Cup in March in Carson City. At the same competition, Astrid Espinoza received "Miss Junior Spotlight" for "Vocea," her acrobat solo.

At the recent awards assemblies at Carson Middle School, some 300 students were recognized for special achievements throughout the year. Students received special recognition for top performances in the subjects of English, math, advanced math, science and social studies. Other students were recognized for straight As, physical education, citizenship, reading, technology, computers, art, band, hand bells, health, home and keyboarding.

The top overall students were recognized as outstanding. In sixth grade, they are: Team A, Jared Clemmensen and Alexis Fallon; Team B, Connie Duong and Richard McDonald; Team C, Ashley Saarem and Joseph Ward. In seventh grade, they are: Team A, Devina Lewis and Richard Shroy; Team B: Karli Dodge and Terralyn Tiffer; Team C, Merrill Asp and Kari Merrell. In eighth grade, they are: Team A, Kyle Stone and Callie Ward; Team B: Adeline Duong and Matthew Parmenter; Team C, Jeff Butler and Elise Hansen.