Students on their way to national science competition

Three Huntington Beach students will compete next month in the Toy

Challenge 2005 National Showcase. Toy Challenge is an outreach

program to engage middle school students in science and engineering.

It was developed in part by Sally Ride, the first American woman

in space.

Kaycee Johnsen, a sixth-grader at Marine View Middle School,

Nicholas Johnsen, an eighth-grader at Marine View and Kara Pedersen,

a fifth-grader at Harbour View Elementary School, along with five

students from Irvine, are members of the California Aquatics, a team

that has been working for six months to develop a new kind of pool

toy.

The Aquatics are one of 200 teams of students from across the

country that are participating in Toy Challenge, a toy- and

game-design competition intended to motivate students to pursue

science, engineering and education.

During the preliminary round, the California Aquatics placed in

the top 10 of all entries from across the nation and received a $400

grant to continue developing their toy, the Underwater X-treme.

The toy features lights and sound and comes with specially

designed goggles and a book of games created by the team.

The winners will be announced April 30 at the National Showcase at

the San Diego Aerospace Museum.

Media company donates to arts

Time Warner Cable made a donation to the Huntington Beach Academy

of Performing Arts Recording Arts Program after the Academy recently

held a Retro-Fest concert.

Time Warner matched a donation of $1,500 that was raised by the

benefit concert. The money was used to buy a new drum set, cymbals,

accessories and computer software.