School Program Wins National Recognition

The Santa Ana Unified School District Student/Teacher Educational Partnership (STEP) project was one of 86 school-college partnerships across the nation to be honored as part of President Bush’s Forum on Teaching as a Profession.

The district has had relationships since 1982 with Rancho Santiago College, Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine to help students make smooth transitions from secondary school to college.

District spokeswoman Susan Despenas said that when the program began, 10% of students went on to colleges or universities. That percentage is now 65%, she said, and “STEP has played a major role in that increase.”

The honor was announced last month conference of the American Assn. of Higher Education and the College Board.

Laguna Hills resident Karen Reed placed first overall in the recent 1991 Natural Invitational Ms. California Bodybuilding Contest in Venice, Calif. She competed against 25 others. It was her second contest.

The Phi Beta Lambda National Business Fraternity has named Newport Beach resident Kenneth South Business Person of the Year for California. He is a vice president at Shearson Lehman Bros. in Costa Mesa.

Foothill High School senior Laura Amrofell is the winner of the Tustin Unified School District TRIP (Tustin Ride-share Incentive Program) Logo Contest, and was awarded $100.

The logo will be used on materials to tell district employees about ride-sharing and other group forms of transportation.

The contest was open to all district middle and high school art students.

Lisa Kaye of Irvine was named Woman of the Year and Laguna Beach resident Dan Wooldridge was named Man of the Year for 1991 by Orange County Cultural Pride. Orange County Cultural Pride produces the Orange County Gay and Lesbian Pride Celebration, which will take place Aug. 17 and 18 on the UC Irvine campus this year.

For the second consecutive year, bus driver Jon Jackson of Irvine has won the Orange County Transit District bus rodeo.

Jackson will represent the OCTD when he goes on to compete in the American Public Transit Assn. international competition in Toronto Sept. 30 .

Jackson, who drives Route 92 from Laguna Hills to Mission Viejo, competed against 308 other district drivers. They were judged on their braking, turning and backing-up skills.

The San Juan Capistrano City Council has presented Community Pride Awards to Mercado Village, San Juan Capistrano Self Storage, Franciscan Plaza, Rios Adobe, the O’Neill Museum, Catholic Church of Mission San Juan Capistrano, Harry’s Family Restaurant, El Adobe de Capistrano and the Benninghoff Law Building.

The city created the awards program in 1988 to recognize achievements in building and landscaping design and maintenanc e.