Whereforth art they? / P. 26
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Inside This Week
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Wednesday, May 24, 2023
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Ahwatukee Legion post gets first woman commander BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
F
NEWS .................. 3 Councilman Kevin Robinson is hosting meet-and-greet here.
BUSINESS ......... 31 Ahwatukee mental health clinic rebrands, slates open house
or the first time in its 40-year history, a woman is the top officer in Ahwatukee’s only veterans organization. Commander Brenda Smull of Ahwatukee was unanimously voted by her comrades last week to lead American Legion Post 64, becoming the 14th veteran to head the post. Smull succeeds Realtor Peter Meier, one of Ahwatukee’s pioneers who held the position in 2014-16 and has been its leader since 2018. Meier is now second vice commander. Other officers elected last week include Al Hunter, first vice commander; Roddy Charlton, adjutant; Craig Amis, service officer; Rebecca Schmidt, chaplain; Jay Hendrix, treasurer; and Mark Shillinger, sergeant at arms. Managing director of IT projects for Edward Jones and an Ahwatukee resident for over five
see LEGION page 5
Ahwatukee American Legion Post 64 Commander Brenda Smull assumed the leadership post last Wednesday of the community’s only veterans organizations just before a memorial service was held for Post 64 Legionnaires who passed away last year. (David Minton/AFN Staff Photographer)
Venue closing nearly shatters Ahwatukee couple’s wedding SPORTS ............. 37 Former Thunder golfer prepares to play in a qualifier for the U.S. Open. COMMUNITY ............................ 26 BUSINESS ................................ 31 OPINION ................................. 35 SPORTS ................................... 37 CLASSIFIEDS ........................... 41
gay’s maid of honor. After touring Lido Restaurant on Lakeshore Boulevard near Baseline Road, Begay ap-
BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
P
renuptial jitters plague many couples as their wedding day approaches, but what Timothy Cowdell and Dr. Shawna Begay went through last week was downright nervewracking. With their June 10 wedding getting closer, Begay took her daughter on May 7 to the Tempe venue for the reception because she’s Be-
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see WEDDING page 16 Tim Cowdell and Shawna Begay of Ahwatukee are breathing much easier now that they found a new venue for their wedding reception June 10 a week after they were told May 7 that the venue they had reserved was closing at the end of this month. (Special to AFN)
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