$25,000 Disneyland Prize : KOCE Receives Top Public Service Award

Last year was rough for KOCE-TV, the Huntington Beach public television station. A staff of 120 people dwindled to about 60 and the only county-based news show, “Newscheck,” went off the air.

But Channel 50 still managed to put together 85 projects, highlighted by an in-depth study of the problem of teen-age pregnancy, said Jim Cooper, vice president of community affairs.

That effort paid off Thursday as KOCE pulled down the top prize at the 28th annual Disneyland Community Service Awards. As the station’s cameras recorded the event for rebroadcast Sunday and Monday, Cooper accepted the Outstanding Award and $25,000 from Jewel Plummer Cobb, Cal State Fullerton president and awards committee chairwoman.

Cash to Go to Broadcasts

“This audience is the greatest forum for us because these are the people we focus on all year,” said Cooper, referring to the representatives of 478 community service groups that applied for the awards in 1984. “It couldn’t have been more appropriate.”

Cooper said the cash will be plowed back into community service broadcasts and would probably help finance “three or four” projects.

Sixty-two other awards were given out, including two of $12,500 each to the Continuing Learning Experience of Cal State Fullerton and the Parent-to-Parent Infant Support Group of Childrens Hospital of Orange County.

The CHOC program provides assistance to the parents of critically ill children by linking them with other parents whose children have “graduated” from the hospital. In addition to counseling and providing emotional support, the group offers parents handbooks on how to cope with the situation, maintains a speakers bureau and holds monthly meetings.

Variety of Endeavors

The CSUF program offers continuing education specifically for retired and semi-retired people with classes in health, foreign affairs, creative writing and the arts. Lectures also provide information on trusts, estates and other financial issues. In addition, the group plans to develop a gerontology center with a library, art gallery and clinic.

The winners in each of 10 categories received $5,000 awards and 50 awards of $2,000 each were also presented.

Included in the category awards was Mrs. Carrie Luger Slayback’s fourth-grade class at the James H. Cox School of Fountain Valley in the “Environment, Ecology and Energy” classification. Slayback received the award for the work her class of about 30 put in to master water-related issues.

In addition to studying the “California Aqueduct, reclamation, the city water system, inversion wells and the current Supreme Court ruling limiting the use of Colorado River water,” Slayback’s charges constructed scenery and developed presentations for three cable TV shows, delivered water conservation posters, designed a five-foot mural currently on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Science and Industry and spoke to more than 500 residents and businesses in the area.

School Needs Money

Slayback said she entered the Disney contest “because the school needs more money for science-related projects.” She noted that her classes are no strangers to the awards circuit, having taken first prize in the Municipal Water District of Orange County’s annual sweepstakes for the last three years.

The other $5,000 winners were:

Service by or for Senior Citizens--Adult Careers Inc. of Irvine.

Cultural Arts--St. Joseph Ballet Company of Santa Ana.

Educational--Literacy Volunteers of America, Placentia.

Service for Youth--Children’s League of Fullerton.

Accomplishments by Youth Groups--Villa Park High School Students Against Drunk Driving.

Special Health Services--Lestonnac Free Clinic of Orange.

Accomplishments by Support Groups--Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Orange County, Cameo Auxiliary.

Social Community Service--The Sheepfold of Tustin.

Civic Community Service--League of Women Voters of Orange County.