Scott Wong
Before addressing the aging World War II heroes who had gathered for Mayor Phil Gordon's veterans tribute this week, keynote speaker Harry Mitchell briefly turned his thoughts to a man of a younger generation, one performing a different type of service.
The Arizona congressman said he was "proud" to see Sal DiCiccio serving on the Phoenix City Council.
After all, nearly four decades earlier, DiCiccio had been a student in Mitchell's U.S. government class at Tempe High School. When most teenagers found the subject matter a bore, DiCiccio was inquisitive, asking questions that moved the class discussion along, Mitchell told Insider.
"He was a teacher's dream," said Mitchell, a Tempe Democrat. "One of the things I always wanted to do was to make sure was that students had an interest in government, not just passing the class, that they participated, that they voted, that they read the newspaper, and you couldn't ask for anything more than for someone to be elected to the City Council."
DiCiccio has credited Mitchell for sparking his interest in civics and government. He told The Arizona Republic earlier this year that Mitchell required him and other students to attend eight city council meetings to pass his class.
"When you are in high school, that is the last thing you want to be doing," said DiCiccio, who was appointed to a vacant council seat this year. "But it worked for me. I got hooked."
DiCiccio served on the council from 1994 until 2000, when he resigned to run for Congress.
"It's kind of weird," DiCiccio said while watching the teacher turned congressman speaking to veterans at City Hall.
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