Diego Zell's Veggie Boy

Vanguard to San Diego

J.D. Fitzgerald/ Special to the Explorer, Snare drummers Trevor Barroero, left, and Carson Koza, right, kept the beat Saturday. The Nighthawk Vanguard is participating in 2009 Holiday Bowl festivities this week in San Diego.

Vanguard to San Diego

J.D. Fitzgerald/ Special to the Explorer, The Ironwood Ridge High School Nighthawk Vanguard practices Saturday morning in preparation for its performance at the 2009 Holiday Bowl in San Diego.

Vanguard to San Diego

J.D. Fitzgerald/ Special to the Explorer, Tuba player Trevor Raine plays in a morning practice at Ironwood Ridge High School on Saturday.

Pen pal 1

Diego Reyes-Crozier, a third-grader at Copper Creek Elementary School, reads a letter that Golder Ranch Fire District fire captain, Scott Robb, handed him and Diego’s other classmates last week. The two groups are becoming pen pals.

Casa de mi Padre

Armando Alvarez (Will Ferrell) and Raul Alvarez (Diego Luna) in “Casa de mi Padre.”

Elephants

Zoo officials are working to make sure Connie and Shaba, elephants at the Reid Park Zoo, stay together in their future home at the San Diego Zoo.

Padres Uniforms 2

The Tucson Padres’ cap features Arizona’s version of the San Diego Padres Swinging Friar using a “Tucson” bat.

Batters Box

Zach Koprowski soft-pitches to Tanner Thorsrud at the Batters Box in Marana. Koprowski now plays for San Diego Christian College while Thorsrud is a senior at Marana High School. 

Expedition Tanzania

A sign hangs telling zoo guest that Connie and Shaba, the former elephants at the Reid Park Zoo, left and are now at the San Diego Zoo.

Back to school 10

Kindergartner Diego Checchi makes his way to a table after getting his lunch on the first day of school at Harelson Elementary School Wednesday.

Volunteers teach reading, 1-on-1

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer, Tutor Heidi Radtke helps second-grader Diego Alvarez with a reaching challenge.

Tucson Toros

Don Boorse/Special to The Explorer, The San Diego Chicken entertains the crowd atop a dugout during last Thursday's baseball game at Hi Corbett Field.

Athlete of the week: Frankie Wu

Frankie Wu

Sesame Street Live winners

Congratulations to Diego Zell, 11, and Lilly Garland, 4, winners of The Explorer’s coloring contest. The youngsters drew a superhero version of themselves to coincide with the Sesame Street Live production of “You’re A Hero, Too! Elmo’s Healthy Heroes.” Diego created “Veggie Boy,” a character that shoots broccoli from his wrists, like Spider-Man, while Lilly created “Ballet Girl,” who twirls before she fights bad eating habits. Each received a family four-pack of tickets to the Sesame Street Live production, which takes place April 26-27 at Tucson Music Hall.

Steve Markowitz

Pastor Steve Markowitz moved from San Diego to Oro Valley in June 2009 to set up Legacy Church. On July 17, he delivered his weekly sermon to his 100-plus congregants at one time in one place, after merging his eastside and westside churches in one central location in the Catalina Foothills.