FRAZIER PARK (Wednesday, March 24, 2010, 5:45 a.m.)—Joshua Arreola of Frazier Mountain High School won first place in the Earth and Environmental Science Division at the 23rd Annual Kern County Regional Science Fair on Tuesday, March 23. The Neenach resident’s project explored efficiency in solar collectors, using dirt as one collecting medium. Arreola also won a Kern County Science Foundation Monetary Award of $250. His biology teacher Barry Lindaman was granted a $500 prize. This is the fifth year in a row that Arreola has been promoted to compete at the state science fair.
Forrest Csulak received Honorable Mention in Applied Mechanics in the high school division.
In the Middle School Division, Lily Hallmark of El Tejon School took Second Place in Agricultural Science. Laura Jennings received Honorable Mention in the same category.
Alexander Pierce-Taylor of El Tejon School took Third Place in Chemistry. He also received special awards from the American Chemical Society and the National Association of Corrosion Engineers.
Rachel Oliver of Valley Oaks Charter School took an Honorable Mention in Earth and Environmental Science (she lives in the Cuddy Creek area near Frazier Park).
In the Intermediate Division, El Tejon School 5th grader Emily Oliver won Third Place in Astronomy, Earth and Environmental Science. The 4th grade students are not eligible for the State Science Fair.
Teacher Lee Bizzini from El Tejon School served as Science Fair Coordinator for El Tejon Unified School District this year.
About 600 students in grades 4-12 competed in the event held at Rabobank Center in Bakersfield. Entries were judged on scientific thought/engineering goals, creativity, organization, completeness, clarity, effort and motivation. Students had to explain their displays, log books and hypothesis to a panel of judges.
Desert High School from Edwards Air Force Base swept the senior divisions and took the perpetual trophy. Stockdale Christian School topped the Middle School division.
The science fair is administered by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools with primary sponsorship provided by Aera Energy LLC. Additional sponsorship and support is offered by Chevron North America Exploration and Production, Occidental of Elk Hills, Kern County Science Foundation, Tejon Ranch Company, Air Force Flight Test Center, and Air Force Research Laboratory Propulsion Directorate.
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This is part of the March 19, 2010 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
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