Coming&going

Education

Professor Cris Eileen Guenter, who teaches in the Education Department at Chico State University, has been honored by the California Art Education Association. Guenter has been named an Outstanding Visual Arts Educator for 2001.

She was nominated by other members of the 1,000-educator statewide group. They were impressed by her 23 years of teaching, ranging from kindergarten to the university level, advocating “the importance of art education as part of the whole education of children.”

Charity

The United Way of Butte and Glenn Counties recently installed new officers. Michael Reilley is the president and will serve through 2002. Other new officers are: Vice President Andrea Demetras, Treasurer Tom Spurgeon, Secretary Bill Youngstrom and Immediate Past President Alan Burchett. Also, the fund-raising chairpersons will be Chico Police Chief Mike Efford and, in Glenn County, Terry Taylor-Vodden, who is the vice mayor in Willows.

Meanwhile, the organization has announced its latest fund-raiser, a campaign to raise $500,000 called “The Way America Cares, Community by Community,” which will kick off Aug. 24.

Media

The Orion, the weekly student newspaper at Chico State, has again won first place for general excellence among weekly college papers in the California Newspaper Publishers Association’s Better Newspapers Contest.

Representatives from the paper were presented with the award on Aug. 11 in Monterey. It’s the sixth time in seven years The Orion has taken the title—a record.

“The CNPA award is without question the most important college newspaper honor in the state,” stated Adviser Dave Waddell in a press release.

For the issues being judged, the managing editor was Randy Striegel (pictured), art director was James Nepomuceno and business manager was Scott Harris.

Agriculture

Ray Watkins, who is director of operations at Chico State’s University Farm, has been announced as the chairperson for this year’s Farm City Celebration.

The 21st annual celebration will start Oct. 30 and aims to educate the public about agriculture with a series of events, from kids’ day at the farm to a harvest dance. Watkins will oversee the 10 committees organizing these events.

Grants

The Paradise Community Foundation has provided a grant to Matthew Dale, a candidate for Eagle Scout who chose as his project a smoke detector check program to promote safety of senior citizens living in mobile homes.

The city of Gridley is the recipient of a $28,800 grant from the California Department of Transportation. It will pay for the development of a comprehensive streetscape design hooking Highway 99 to the community and guiding future improvements—such as walkways, bike routes, access and landscaping—in a one and two-thirds mile stretch of town.