Hiking trails built in South Mountain won’t be destroyed by the South Mountain Freeway but many hikers fear they will never be the same.

Kyrene School District is hosting its second Parent Summit this week with educational classes for parents that includes dinner and childcare.

Summit School of Ahwatukee middle school teachers, Andrea Yocum, Christy Menard and Amy Lecky, are recipients of this year’s Xavier College Preparatory Golden Gator Award for Excellence in Teaching. Xavier High School recognizes junior high teachers who have been inspirational to Xavier freshmen students. This is the third Golden Gator for Lecky, who teaches middle school language arts and literature, and the second for both science teacher Andrea Yocum, and math teacher Christy Menard. In previous years Summit teacher Melissa France has also received this award.

To avoid “brain drain” during summer vacation, local schools in Ahwatukee Foothills are offering up educational programs for kids.

Athletes of all ages have become more specialized.

Bicyclists will have a chance to speak directly to city staff and offer suggestions for improving biking in Phoenix during the District 6 Bike Summit on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Pecos Park Community Center, 17010 S. 48th St., Room 3.

4515 E. Muirwood Drive

Eagle Scout and Mountain Pointe High School junior Jacob Rak-Kinonen, along with Chandler MMA owner Master Paul McGowan, hosted a women’s self defense clinic on Feb. 10 as a fundraiser called “Helping women be prepared” for local Boy Scout Troop 1/A212.

Summit School of Ahwatukee • 4515 E. Muirwood Drive

The Blackhawks Max Shacknai Invitational for youth soccer was played last weekend and two teams with strong Ahwatukee ties came back champions.

Just under a year as one of Kyrene’s newest positions that aims to connect the school district with business sponsorships, Ted Gonzalez said the key is creating relationships.

Zombies are terrible characters. That’s not to say there haven’t been plenty of good movies featuring zombies like “28 Days Later,” “Shaun of the Dead,” “Zombieland,” and the George A. Romero classics. In those films, however, it was the human characters and their pursuit to endure the zombie apocalypse that kept the audience invested. Unlike vampires or werewolves, zombies have never been blessed with interesting back-stories, individuality, or moral dilemmas. Last summer’s “Chernobyl Diaries” left me asking why couldn’t there be a movie about a mutant/zombie who’s intelligent with character traits and motivation. Jonathan Levine, who previously made the wonderful “50/50,” responds to my question in “Warm Bodies.”

"Warm Bodies," the latest permutation of the zombie screen phenomenon, places heart over horror and romantic teen angst over sharp social commentary.

Zombies are terrible characters. That’s not to say there haven’t been plenty of good movies featuring zombies like “28 Days Later,” “Shaun of the Dead,” “Zombieland,” and the George A. Romero classics.

Lynn Price

Summit School of Ahwatukee