Unless Los Ba&#241;os residents can come up with a name that the entire community can agree on, the new high school's moniker could be "Pacheco High School," " Henry Miller High School" or "Veterans Memorial High School."</p><p>The Los Ba&#241;os Unified School District's high school naming committee held its first meeting Wednesday at the district office to discuss solicitation of names, suggestions and other possible naming opportunities.</p><p>"We have to remember to name it for the kids that will go there," Mayor Tommy Jones, a member of the committee said. "The name has to be a center of pride."</p><p>Committee members instructed Superintendent Steve Tietjen to seek out more suggestions from the community on what the high school name should be. Utilizing the city's media, the school district's Web site and word of mouth Tietjen said he and the committee will encourage everyone to submit a potential name.</p><p>The name could be after a notable individual. Tietjen said a few suggestions have already been submitted. They included educators Sam Benedettino (the school district's first superintendent) and Lester Smith (a former high school principal), war heroes Louis Robert McMullen who died on board the USS Growler (SS 215) during World War II and the city's founder, Henry Miller.</p><p>Councilman Joe Sousa said that while it is a good idea to honor the people who made Los Ba&#241;os thrive, a lot of today's community is made up of Bay Area transplants who would not recognize the above mentioned individuals.</p><p>He suggested the new name be all encompassing and not after any one individual so that all Los Ba&#241;os residents feel included.</p><p>"It's important that we don't offend anyone or exclude anyone," Sousa said.</p><p>Volta Elementary School Principal Jan Whitehurst, who was in attendance, suggested that if people want to submit an individual's name they should attach a brief biography and explanation on why they chose that person.</p><p>San Luis High School Principal John Lupini was also in attendance. He suggested the name Arroyo High School after Father Arroyo de la Cuesta whom Los Ba&#241;os Creek is named after. </p><p>Lupini also said he was more inclined to have the high school name be historical and the football stadium be honored with the name that has been floating around Los Ba&#241;os.</p><p>"Veterans Memorial High School" has been championed by the local veterans association but Lupini said the words "veterans memorial" suggest a more solemn dignity than a building of teenagers. In his opinion he would much rather have a "Veterans Memorial Stadium," a battleground for athletes.</p><p>There will be other naming opportunities for buildings and facilities within the new campus, the swimming pool, football field, library and gymnasium to name a few. Whatever those names are, committee members would like to see a unifying theme to it.</p><p>Other high school names suggested had more of a general or historical bend to them; Overland High School, Liberty High School, Pacheco High School and Los Ba&#241;os East High School, so that outsiders could identify the school with the city.</p><p>Tietjen said he personally wants the opinions of current sixth and seventh-grade students since they will be the first ones attending the new school. Recounting the time when San Luis High was picking out its colors, Lupini said he was met with some suggestions that bordered on poor taste.</p><p>"Be prepared to get some juvenile answers," Lupini said.</p><p>Tietjen said suggestions should follow some guidelines as Whitehurst suggested. Those submitting an individual's name or a historical one should be prepared to say why and to try to make it a name that the entire community will recognize and something the school's students would be proud of.</p><p>The school district is now accepting suggestions via e-mail, mail or phone call. Tietjen's office will sort them and present them to the committee for discussion in September. By October the committee will vote on its top three and submit them to the board of education for its approval.</p><p>"It's not going to be easy, there are a lot of ideas out there," Tietjen told the committee. "(Remember) your number one recommendation means a lot."</p><p>Suggestions including name, address, contact information and some background information regarding your choice, can be sent to Mary Cotta at mcotta@losbanosusd.k12.ca.us or they can mail it to her attention at, Los Banos Unified School District, 1717 S. 11th St., Los Ba&#241;os, CA 93635-4800 or drop it off at the District Office. </p><p><i>Enterprise reporter Minerva Perez can be reached by phone at (209)388-6565 or by e-mail at mperez@losbanosenterprise.com</i>