Favorite Sons & Daughters

A 2007 graduate of Centennial High School, Merkes is now a student in technical training school.

He is the son of Steven and Maria Merkes and brother of Shimon Merkes, all of Las Vegas, and great-grandson of Myrtle Norton of Gridley, Calif.

Elizabeth Kong received a grand prize award, and Genavy Machuca, Hannah Ferguson, Linda Loya and Hope Garza received first-place awards in an art contest sponsored by Clark County School District’s School-Community Partnership Program.

The contest was organized to commemorate completion of the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-registered floating building at Cottonwood Cove Resort on Lake Mohave.

Students were awarded prizes ranging from passes to Black Canyon River Adventures to merchandise certificates for Cottonwood Cove’s restaurant and marina store.

Kong, a junior at West Career and Technical Academy, received a four-day houseboat vacation.

Genavy is in the first grade at Frias Elementary School; Hannah is a fifth-grader at Frias Elementary School; Linda is a student at Brown Junior High School; and Garza is a senior at Liberty High School.

All the winners’ artwork will be permanently displayed at Cottonwood Cove’s marina building.

Christina Brunini has been named to the dean’s list for the fall 2011 semester at Florence University of the Arts in Florence, Italy.

Brunini, who has a 3.92 grade-point average, has a dual major in marketing and finance at the University of San Diego.

She spent the semester ending in December 2011 at Florence University of the Arts through the Study Abroad program.

She is the daughter of Joseph and Cynthia Brunini of Las Vegas.

John Wamser of Henderson has been named to the honor roll for the fall 2011 semester at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan.

Wamser is a sophomore studying history.

Joshua DeLeon has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.

A 2011 graduate of Chaparral High School, DeLeon is the son of Lawrence DeLeon and Joella Melendez, both of Las Vegas.

Maritza Gerez of Las Vegas has graduated from Concordia University in Portland, Ore., with a Master of Education degree in curriculum and instruction.

Kayla Hale has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. A 2010 graduate of Durango High School, Hale is the daughter of John and Michelle Petta of Las Vegas.

Ryun Sandoval has graduated from U.S. Army Fire Support Specialist Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sill in Lawton, Okla. Field artillery specialists serve in intelligence activities, including target processing in field artillery, cannon battalions, division artillery, artillery and maneuver brigade and headquarters and fire support elements.

A 2011 graduate of Cimarron-Memorial High School, Sandoval is the son of Shawna Sandoval of Las Vegas.

Kaitlin Busser of Henderson has been named to the dean’s list for the fall 2011 semester at Binghamton University’s Harpur College of Arts and Sciences in Binghamton, N.Y.