Science

Marshall Allen The contributions to the science of information theory by La Canada Flintridge resident Lloyd Welch, 74, are changing the way information is transmitted around the world. They have also led to him being presented the top international information theory honor -- the Shannon Lecture Award. The award is given by the Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers and named after Claude Shannon, an American mathematical engineer who is widely considered to be the founding father of the electronic information age. The Shannon Lecture Award is given yearly to the person who's made significant contributions to the field of information theory -- the science dealing with how messages are transmitted and received.

On Saturday the culmination of a seven-year art odyssey that defines the personalities of 16 separate and very individualized models can be viewed from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Coffee Gallery in Altadena. Artist Ron Schmidtling has gathered his pen and ink portraits into an exhibit he titled “48 Goddesses.” The project began during an art workshop Schmidtling was taking at the Getty Museum. He noticed that each model who posed not only had different physical characteristics but also different mannerisms.

Marauding robots and card-dealing teachers greeted parents at Clark Magnet High School this Saturday. But the open house was all a bit more innocent than it sounds. "We are a specialized school," Vice-Principal Joan Shoff said. "Our school has to fit the student." The 8-year-old school offers students across the district the chance to hone their skills in science, math, and technology. The long-armed robot was controlled by the group of students who built it while the card game demonstrated the relationship between negative and positive numbers.

Gary Moskowitz An eight-week stint working at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory taught Lucy Abramyan a lot, including the importance of circles and triangles. The 16-year-old Clark Magnet High School senior was one of five Southern California high school students to participate this summer in an intensive science and engineering program at JPL. Lucy was selected from about 80 students who applied to participate in the NASA Summer High School Apprentice Research Program.

Students at Balboa Elementary School participated in an Environmental Expo Friday. Balboa students learned about recycling, insects, flowers and tide pools at several informational booths set up on the school's front lawn. Local Grace Hernandez, the "ladybug lady," talked with Balboa students about insects and a tide pool touch tank allowed students to touch sea animals that can be found in tide pools. Representatives from Glendale's Recycling Composite Center talked with students about the importance of recycling and members of the school's Parent Teacher Assn.

Gary Moskowitz NORTHWEST DISTRICT -- Megan Reilly, a 10-year-old fifth-grader at Mark Keppel Elementary School, is hoping that she can combine the two things she likes most -- soccer and science -- by going to college. Megan was one of many students at Keppel Elementary who participated in a "Keppel Goes to College" day at the school Tuesday, during which faculty spoke with students about the opportunities available through college education. "I like science and love to play soccer.

They were given a 3-by-5-inch index card, a pair of scissors and the task of cutting a perfect loop that they could fit their bodies through. This was a lesson in thinking outside of the box. The eighth-grade students in Jay Duval's science class at Mesa View Middle School took on their assignment with gusto. "This is easy!" "Oh, I can do this!" After little success, the students balked. "You want us to do what?" "This is going to take a while."

Harry Jean Beckman, age 88, beloved husband, father, grandfather and uncle passed away on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at his home in Glendale.  He was a resident of Glendale for 47 years.  Harry was born July 2, 1922 on the family farm in Kirk, Colorado, son of Harry Walter Beckman and Ida Alice Bailey Beckman.  He grew up in Brush, Colorado where he was a high school basketball and track star.  He and his family moved to Pasadena, California in 1940.  He attended Pasadena City College before he joined the Navy.

Gary Huerta, you wrote a very poignant story in regards to people taking accountability when necessary and to answer the questions posed (“A Balcony View: Case begs question of accountability, March 9). I offer my belief. As concern for consequences increases, the level of holding oneself accountable diminishes, and therefore the easier it is to assign someone or something the blame to avoid confrontation. As our morals decrease, we feel less of a need to own up to our actions or admit to being involved in situations that are completely out of our hands.

Around noon on Thursday, the happiest place on Earth just may have been Crescenta Valley High School. Finals were over, school was out for the summer and the Class of 2006 prepared for commencement ceremony. Six hundred and thirty three students are scheduled to receive their diplomas Thursday night at the commencement ceremony at Stengel Field. These seniors have seen a lot since their school careers began in kindergarten in 1993. President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore began their first terms in the White House that year.