By Aimee YEGHIYAN BECK

It seemed so far away to the audience. Senior year was too distant to even imagine. But for the Lincoln Elementary School scholarship recipients looking down at the kindergarten through sixth graders below them in the school auditorium, it seemed like yesterday. Sixteen Lincoln alumni were awarded scholarships on May 16 at Lincoln Elementary during a school-wide assembly, followed by the 34th annual Lincoln 500 tricycle race.

During the assembly, which began with the kindergarten classes singing patriotic songs, scholarship recipients shared memories from their elementary school days, ranging from pool parties to the Meet the Masters art program.

“[Physical Education teacher Janet] Goliger was the reason I played two sports through high school,” said Lincoln PTA scholarship recipient Joe Torres, who played both football and baseball at Crescenta Valley High School. Torres remembered the sixth grade softball game at the end of the year when sixth grade teacher Josi Siminski effortlessly caught the fly ball he hit. He will be playing baseball at Point Loma Nazarene University.

After the scholarships were awarded, recipients Ethan Novak and Nick Castellana brought out their trombones and performed three songs, including the Pokemon theme song, to encourage the students to join the music program.

The crowd then moved outside to the track, where CVHS Air Force ROTC presented the colors and the CVHS Charismatics choir performed. After a release of the birds to signify the freedom of America, Principal Stephen Williams announced past secretary Lily Barrantes as the grand marshal, Jered Sandoval as classified employee of the year, and sixth grade teacher Cindy Rovello as teacher of the year.

After past and present employees were honored, including GUSD board member Greg Krikorian, scholarship recipients and race members took a lap, some in vintage cars. Then the race began.

Six teams of seven kids raced around the track on Razor Scream Machines, each vying to be the winner. The frontrunner changed constantly during the race, but the orange team managed to beat out the rest. Glendale Police Dept. issued tickets to the winning team for “speeding.”

After 10 years, parent Duane Fernandez passed the baton of organizing the Lincoln 500.

“We officially handed it off. I am involved with just the logistics and moving it over to David Krohn and Armen Derian,” said Fernandez. Chair of this year’s event, Krohn was asked to take over the event this year as a part of the Dad’s Club. The club was instrumental in planning and organizing the Lincoln 500, and plans to do so for many more years.

All had agreed, the event itself was the best and most rewarding part of planning the event.

“Lincoln has a great family,” said Derian.

  Aimee YEGHIYAN BECK