Five Ensign Intermediate School students were honored...

Five Ensign Intermediate School students were honored -- by the

Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of

Newport-Balboa -- with Ensign Character Awards during two assemblies

at the school May 24.

The winning students were given recognition for demonstrating all

six “Pillars of Character” in their interaction with teachers,

administrators and each other, and were nominated by teachers,

parents and school administrators. The Ensign character awards

program is designed to identify and honor young people whose lives

and achievements demonstrate a commitment to qualities associated

with good character, and who can serve as role models for their

generation.

The honored students are: Gwendolyn Gaylord, seventh grade; Marna

Rough, seventh grade; Esther Shafer, seventh grade; Austin

McCullough, eighth grade; and Kylie Sheppard, eighth grade.

Ten-year-old Britney Badger of Costa Mesa won third place in the

11-and-under division of the Championship Strawberry Shortcake Eating

Contest held May 22, during the 6th Annual Strawberry Sunday and

Classic Car Show at the Orange County Marketplace.

Ellie Gordon, a philanthropist and community leader, was elected

to the Board of Directors for the Costa Mesa-based Mind Institute.

For 15 years, Gordon has been active with many nonprofit

organizations, including Friends of Orange Coast Interfaith Shelter,

where she served as president from 1990 to 1992; Symphony 100;

Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra; and the Dean’s Leadership Council

for the Claire Trevor Arts at UC Irvine. She has also co-chaired the

Pacific Symphony Gala three times, including its 25th Anniversary

Celebration.

The Mind Institute uses a math- and music-based program to help

students learn more effectively

Gail Ossipoff of Newport Beach was appointed special-events

manager for South Coast Plaza. Ossipoff will serve as manager on

center-wide-, retailer-, and philanthropic-sponsored South Coast

Plaza events. She spent the last five years at the Newport Beach

Conference and Visitors Bureau, where she was director of

communications. Prior to that, Ossipoff was the director of special

events at Windows on the Bay restaurant in Newport Beach.

* NEIGHBORS spotlights achievements in the community. Please

direct noteworthy information to Lindsay Sandham by fax at (714)

966-4679, or send e-mail to lindsay.sandham@latimes.com.