Report Card

Paul Clinton

Teaching the community about Mother Earth

“Earth Day Expo 2002” is planned for Saturday at the Huntington Beach

Pier.

Golden West College is sponsoring the event, which is scheduled for 10

a.m. to 4 p.m. The goal is to provide further education about ways to

protect and value the environment, officials said.

“More information, more education,” said Marius Cucurney, who teaches

environmental studies and Spanish. “This is the key to protecting our

environment.”

Booths set up at the event will offer helpful tips about saving energy

and recycling trash. There will be a rock-climbing wall. Edison will have

a booth informing people how to save energy.

There will also be a plethora of events geared toward children -- face

painting, puppet shows and the creation of a giant Earth Day mural.

The event is free and will take place at Pier Plaza.

Goldenwest College station goes digital

The managers of KOCE-TV Channel 3 have announced they plan to convert

the local station to a digital format.

To accomplish that goal, the station also kicked off a fund-raising

campaign to net $8.5 million.

“Digital KOCE will be more than just television,” station President

Mel Rogers said. “Our plan is to dedicate this channel to exclusive

coverage of Orange County, 24 hours a day. To achieve this, KOCE must

raise the funds needed for digital conversion.”

Once in the digital format, the station will bring three of the four

channels during the evening in high definition television.

Federal law requires all television stations to convert to the digital

format by May 2003.

The station, based in Huntington Beach, has already raised $3.5

million toward its goal, leaving it $5 million short.

The images and sound of programs broadcast in the digital format have

much better clarity than in analog.

Students write award winning “letters to the editor”

Five freshmen at Huntington Beach High School were honored Tuesday for

letters they wrote decrying the dangers of drinking and driving.

The winners were Tonya Moyes, Evan Phelan, Ali Piontkowski, Robert

Riker and Thanh Van. The students, who are all 15 years old, were honored

at an assembly at the school’s gym.

The students all wrote letters to local newspapers during the contest,

which was known as “Write a Letter to the Editor.”

The contest was sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving and

Community Service Programs, a nonprofit group funded by Orange County.

Students all received a certificate and two tickets to Knott’s Berry

Farm in Buena Park. More than 80 students participated in the contest.

During the assembly, students watched a video produced by MADD called

“Fake IDs.”

One winning letter:

Dear Editor,

I am a student at Huntington Beach High School and I feel that I must

speak out regarding the effect of youth drunk driving. In 1999, 41,611

people were killed in highway crashes. Another 3 million were injured. I

feel that even one death by a drunk driver is one too many. I have made

the commitment to encourage my friends and family never to drive drunk or

drive with someone who has been drinking. If we all as members of this

society make the same commitment, we can see a decline in this national

tragedy.

Now think about it, how would you feel if you or someone you love

becomes a victim in an alcohol-related crash? These days it is a

challenge to drive on the road sober, but adding alcohol to it can end

your life or someone else’s life, so think before you drive. Right now I

do not drive, but when I do, I will know the danger of drunk driving and

never drive if I have been drinking. Furthermore, I certainly won’t get

into a car with someone who has. Let’s all think more carefully to be

safe.Tonya Moyes