Local kids draw to stop litter

The 11th annual "I Love My Neighborhood" poster contest awards were held Wednesday evening, April 14, at the Glendale Civic Auditorium, and several of the top finalists were from Crescenta Valley schools.

Glendale Unified School District public schoolchildren, along with students from several private schools, entered the contest to draw a poster with the theme, "Litter No More in 2004." This year saw a record 10,000 students enter the contest.

The contest is sponsored by the Committee for a Clean and Beautiful Glendale. Committee representative Lisa McMurray said the mascot for the litter prevention program is a small donkey named Litter Not. Several of the students used this mascot in their posters.

The field of 10,000 was reduced to 63 semifinalists, approximately two from each school. Those students were invited to the awards ceremony and given a trophy. Nine finalists and one grand prize winner were chosen out of the 63. Spencer Dryden, a fourth grader from Fremont Elementary School, took home the grand prize. Dryden's poster will be the official poster for the city's multi-media anti-pollution campaign.

"I'm surprised," said a shy and stunned Dryden after receiving his award. When asked why he began the project he replied, "My teacher told me to."

McMurray echoed what teachers, administrators and parents had said all night: "All the children should be proud of themselves for taking part in this contest."

Other top-placing local students are Joshua Lee, second place; Joyce Lee, third place, Jessie Kim, fourth place; and Angela Park, sixth place.