b'HighSchoolarchivingcommitteeas M a p l e -For Your Plumbing & Heating Needs well as the Don Hamingson Literarywood/South Showcase, part of the South Orange- Orangewas CALL TORO TO THE RESCUE! Maplewood Adult School.areallygood CALL TORO TO THE RESCUE!Iveknownhimsincehewasinplace because I Steam Heating Specialists my seventh-grade English class at Ma- could do things NOW BOOKING! plewood Middle School, says Petral- simultaneous-Pre-Season Boiler Start-Ups lia. His family was moving him fromly, says Best. I Maintenance and Upgrades New York City and making an adjust- was in the jazz Complete System Evaluations menttothecommunity.TheBestbandandthen family relocated to Maplewood fromI would do theAhmed Best per-the Soundview Section of the Bronxschoolmusi- formed the media 973-672-1000 in the mid-80s. Bests siblings includecal. I was in thecapture and voice ofhis twin brother, Khalid, and his sister,marching bandJar Jar Binks.Dunia Best Sinnreich. Their parents andpresidentoftheMartinLuther Haniel Rosemond, DDS, MAGD AhmondyllaandBahatiBesthaveKingAssociation.Hewasalsostate General Dentist been living in Maplewood ever since. champion in track and field and active Davia Strachan, DDS Petrallia recalls the time Best hadintheParnassianSociety,Columbia Pediatric Dentist to make a presentation to his middleHigh Schools drama club. Columbia Spec. Permit 4041 schoolclass.Iheardhimpushingreally lent itself to being pretty much a timpani drum down the hallway. Iwhat I am now, which is what people Same Day Dentistry & Emergencies Welcome knew he had measured the door so heare now calling a multi-hyphenate.Early Morning and Evening Appointments Available could fit it in the classroom. He gotBest went on to voice the role of Jar General DentistryInvisalignImplants it through on an angle and proceededJar Binks in the animated series Star Early Dental Care for BabiesPediatric Dentistry toteachthestudentshowtimpaniWars: The Clone Wars, then moved on Call us to schedule your next appointmentwork,shesays.Mostpeoplereallyfromthefranchiseafterthinkinghis (973) 762-2660 dont know the intricacies of how totime with Star Wars was done. play them. And the class just got suchButanotherprojectcameupde-southorangedentalcenter.com a charge out of it. He was focused oncades later which would allow the actor 481 SOUTH ORANGE AVENUE,SOUTH ORANGE, NJ 07079 teaching. And he was good at it. to return to the franchise with the goal Because Petrallia transferred to Co- of focusing on the kids. Best was tapped lumbiaHighSchool,shecontinuedto host Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge to teach Best. He was a good writer, a childrens game show that aired in a strong speaker, and his musical abil- 2020 which had young fans competing ity extended in so many different direc- to become Jedi Knights. The actor had tions, she recalls. And he was terrificastronghandinthedevelopmentof at debate. In 2022, Best was selected asJedi Master Kelleran Beq, the character the Don Hamingson Literary Showcasewho led the contestants through those speaker and honoree, an award givenchallenges. I was given a lot of room annually to a CHS graduate involvedto create his backstory and to give him in the arts. the nickname The Sabered Hand, he Nicknamed The Sabered Hand, Jedi Master Kelleran Beq is a master at JarKai, or dual lightsaber combat.16/ matters magazine / school 2023'