
Monte Vista Mountaineers Class of 2025 are ready to take on college
Monte Vista students, although they do their coursework remotely, have the same course and graduation requirements as comprehensive Newport-Mesa schools. Once a week they meet with their respective teachers at Presidio Learning Center in Costa Mesa.
Seventeen Mountaineers were in this year's class. Sixteen of them are planning to go on to two-year colleges, according to school officials. One of the newly-minted grads, Madison Stephenson, was accepted to several four-year universities and will be attending Colorado State University in fall to study elementary education.
Bruno Andrade Bruning, who made a colorful splash at the ceremony by accessorizing his gown with a stole depicting the flags of the U.S. and Brazil, was named Mountaineer of the Year.
Bruning was also one of the student speakers, sharing that honor with Roel Orozco.
Ahead of the ceremony, Principal Racquel Stephens offered her sentiments to the graduating seniors.
'The class of 2025 at Monte Vista is a special class. May you always have fond memories of your time at Monte Vista — a collection of the classmates, teachers and staff members who helped shape your school memories. May you look back on it with a smile of gratitude for your time at Monte Vista — a truly special place.'
— Daily Pilot Staff
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Sleepless Newport anglers battle to save pond's fish stock
Fireman came to the rescue following an oxygen crash at Newport's Lliswerry Pond. Local anglers had been left scrambling to save the beloved fishing spot - and the fish that call the pond home. At around 3pm on Friday, the fire crew arrived and helped preserve a precious community resource that is deeply treasured in Newport. The Malpas team discharged their powerful hoses into the pond, significantly boosting oxygen levels for the fish - something the anglers had been struggling to maintain for more than 30 hours. Around 50 roach have already died, and while carp and other species appear stable for now, the situation still remains critical. A victim of the oxygen crash at Lliswerry Pond. (Image: NQ) Ben Edmunds, chair of the angling club, was jolted into action early Thursday morning. He said: 'I left Wednesday night and all was fine. Thursday morning, I got a call from an angler at 5am. He said the fish are gasping,' Ben said oxygen levels had plummeted to a dangerously low 0.08 per cent. By late Thursday, volunteers had managed to raise it to 45 per cent, but the threat of an overnight crash loomed. Oxygen levels naturally decrease rapidly at night. The pond was immediately closed, and a planned family fishing day was cancelled. 'We've been pumping water in and out to oxygenate the pond since 6am Thursday,' Ben explained. 'Volunteers are manning the place around the clock., Ben added' By midday Friday, Ben had been on duty for over 30 hours, sleeping in his car between shifts. 'Overnight watch is crucial. Between 2am and 6am is the lowest hour for oxygen and the most dangerous time for the fish. It's essential we're running correctly, fully fuelled and pumping at maximum.' Support came swiftly. 'I called NRW and their fishery development officer Richard Shepherd was straight on the case. He came with two pumps, Newport Angling Association brought another, and we had three running here,' Ben said. The pond, formed from an old quarry, is naturally rich in fertiliser, which encourages algae blooms. When these blooms die off, they deplete oxygen from the water, a problem worsened by the summer heat and lack of rainfall. 'We haven't had any decent rainfall since February and we're 20 inches down on where we should be,' Ben added. 'What we're dealing with is going to be happening a lot now.' Leaseholder Leanne Tutton urged the public to back anglers. 'Support your local anglers. Anglers spot what's going wrong before anyone else. Your local angler is the canary in the coalmine and we need more of them. The environment needs more anglers.' Lliswerry Pond has been a fixture of Newport's fishing scene for nearly 140 years. Beyond angling, it's also used as an educational tool for children of all backgrounds. But for now, it's the anglers - sleep-deprived, determined, and deeply connected to the water - who are fighting to keep it alive.
Yahoo
09-08-2025
- Yahoo
Talkin' Up the Port: Focusing on the good things in Newport
NOW where was I? It is more than eight years since I last wrote a regular opinion column for the Argus. So much has changed since then… or has it? The last column I wrote back in 2017 talked about the rise of conspiracy theories, fake news, and incessant negativity on social media. That certainly hasn't changed – in fact, it continues to plumb new depths. The good news is I won't be harping on about issues like that in this column. In fact, good news is what this is all about – and, in particular, good news about Newport. Now I realise you might be coughing and spluttering at seeing the words 'good news' and 'Newport' in the same sentence, but bear with me. This column will celebrate all the great things that are happening in this city. And, believe me, there will be no shortage of subject matter. Some people might remember that for a few years, I ran a weekly social media slot, on what was then Twitter, called 'Port Hour'. It was all about giving people, businesses and charities a space to share the brilliant work they were doing in Newport. That is exactly what this column seeks to do. But with more words. Sometimes that will mean sticking my head above the parapet, but a few slings and arrows in return for promoting the city that I've called home for the last 36 years will be a small price to pay. No doubt there will be a few insults flying around on social media, but I can guarantee that I'll have heard them all before, and they will be like water off a particularly large duck's back. What I really want is for this column to be the place where the voice of the silent majority is heard. The people who run fantastic businesses in Newport, or brilliant charities, or terrific events, or just give up their time to benefit their communities, and whose voices often get drowned out by the sound and fury of social media. There are many of them, and they far exceed those who do nothing but sit behind a keyboard and whinge (and, yes, I get the irony of me sitting behind a keyboard and whinging about people whinging!) So I'll be writing about places like Newport Arcade, Tredegar House, Rodney Parade and The Place; about projects like Positive Futures and The Gap; and charities like Free Bikes 4 Kids and Raven House Trust. But I also want to hear from you about the great things you're doing in Newport. Just email me here – kevin@ – and I'll write about you. The golden rule of this weekly column is simple – it will be unremittingly positive about Newport. It will give a platform to those who love their city and want to shout about it. Because if we don't do that, then who will?
Yahoo
04-08-2025
- Yahoo
Residents' feedback and complaints ‘important' if council is to improve
Newport residents have been urged to provide feedback to the council on its services, even if it takes the shape of a complaint. Senior officers told a council committee the feedback, whether positive or negative, was crucial if people wanted to see improvements. A new report has prompted questions about the role local councillors should play in dealing with residents' concerns, however. The committee heard the top area for feedback last year was environmental or public protection issues. Compliments included cleanliness and the standard of services, while negative experiences were 'mainly about waste collection', complaints resolution manager Sarah McCool said. The report on feedback 'highlights how we've continued to listen to residents, learn from their experiences and use that feedback to improve services across the council', she added. The council had 'learned key lessons' including that 'residents want clearer, more timely updates' and 'staff interactions matter'. Head of service Tracy McKim told the committee that the council is 'trying to do more work to encourage people to complain and to compliment'. 'We don't see complaints as a bad thing – it's really important that feedback about services, whether positive or negative, is recorded in a robust way in order to make improvements,' she said. But following a question from Cllr Ray Mogford, it emerged the local authority does not collect data on how many complaints come from ward representatives. 'I get a lot of complaints – people say they've put in requests for services and nothing's happened,' he explained. 'I take on the mantle of pushing through and more often than not manage to get a response. That alleviates the resident complaining, because they're using the councillor as a vehicle to help resolve issues.' 'Would you encourage councillors to complain?' he asked the officers. 'I would say the correct avenue for that would be for you to advise them to contact our customer complaints department,' Ms McCool responded. 'A lot of the time when I'm contacted by councillors, and provide them with information regarding a complaint, I look and actually the customer hasn't raised it with the complaints department. 'They may have instead sent a request for service into a department, but they haven't actually raised a formal complaint with ourselves.' Committee member Don Reed challenged that process, however, suggesting residents may be perplexed if their councillor told them to phone the contact centre rather than ask them directly for help. Ms McKim accepted the matter was 'a fair challenge' but said there was a 'balance to be struck on how complicated and how confidential the issue is'. For residents wishing to make complaints, she advised that 'when it's about a complex personal query, it's better to do it yourself'.