Seventh-graders Alex Heiney, and Ariel Knoebel...

Seventh-graders Alex Heiney, and Ariel Knoebel of Huntington

Beach’s Pegasus Middle School earned first and second place

respectively in Tilly’s Essay Contest. The contest attracted more

than 2,000 entries. Alex read his essay, “The Flavor of the Day,” at

the awards ceremony ... Huntington Beach Elks Lodge 1959 is proud to announce contributions to local charities for the whopping sum of

$11,700 ... Megan Marlena of Huntington Beach was awarded the Kathryn

Dettman Memorial journalism scholarship award at he Associated Press

Radio and Television Conference in April. Marlena demonstrated her

ability to seek out new angles through her work as a morning news

anchor for the jazz radio station KKJZ ... Charles B. Bailey, son of

Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Bailey of Huntington Beach, graduated from

Furman University in South Carolina ... Melissa Peterson of

Huntington Beach was conferred a bachelor’s degree in marketing from

Providence College. Providence College has been ranked as one of the

top two regional universities in the north in the U.S. News’

publication, America’s Best Colleges ... Scott Bogle and Anahi Ramos,

students of Valley Vista High School, were honored at the seventh

annual A.C.E. Awards luncheon with $500 and a plaque for overcoming

adversities. The Exchange Club of Huntington Beach hosted the event

... Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Isaias L. Rios, son of

Theresa and Isaias L. Rios of Huntington Beach recently returned home

from a three-month deployment while assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard

Cutter Munro ... Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Trevor M.

Medlin, son of Elaine B. Medlin of Huntington Beach recently returned

home from a three-month deployment while assigned to the U.S. Coast

Guard Cutter Munro. Medlin’s ship managed to seize nearly 7,000

pounds of cocaine with a street value of $60 million ... Navy Seaman

Recruit Michael G. Cooper, a 2002 graduate of Ocean View High School,

recently reported for duty aboard the aircraft carrier USS George

Washington ...

* NEIGHBORS is news about Huntington Beach people achieving and

doing good in the community. To submit information to this feature,

please send it to the Independent, Attn.: Neighbors, 18682 Beach

Blvd., Suite 160, Huntington Beach, CA 92648; fax it to (714)

965-7174; or e-mail it to hbindy@latimes.com.