RB, PQ Students Winners in City Poster Contest

Seven local students have been honored among the 19 winners of the 12th annual Water Conservation Poster Contest, hosted by the City of San Diego Public Utilities Department.

The local winners (listed below) come from Turtleback Elementary School in Rancho Bernardo, Mesa Verde Middle School and Park Village Elementary School in Rancho Peñasquitos and home school. The students were recognized during a City Hall ceremony on Tuesday.

"San Diegans continue to do a great job conserving water and these youth have reinforced our conservation ethic,” Mayor Jerry Sanders said, according to a news release. “It is important to remember that San Diego still imports most of our water supply. Let’s continue to educate our youth about the value of water and embrace our long-term commitment to waste no water."

The contest was open to students in first through sixth grade, with three winners for each grade level. Edmund Sumpena, a second-grader at Park Village Elementary School, was selected as the overall winner as the student "who best captures the essence of recycled water."

Each winner received an awards package including a U.S. Savings Bond, tickets to the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and a Certificate of Excellence.

"I really admire the effort the students put into the posters and the message," said San Diego City Councilwoman Sherri Lightner, who represents PQ in District 1. "They are all extremely talented, and I hope they continue their great work in spreading the word about water conservation and sustainability in San Diego."

The winning posters can be seen between June and July 4 at:

• June 1-30: San Diego Watercolor Society Gallery, NTC Promenade at Point Loma’s Liberty Station, 2825 Dewey Rd., Suite 105.

• June 8-July 4: San Diego County Fair’s Creative Youth Exhibit, Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar.

The local winners:

• First Grade: Anna Liu, (second place).
• Second Grade: Mark Wang, Park Village Elementary School (second place).
• Third Grade: Cynthia Bao, Park Village Elementary School (first place).
• Fourth Grade: Jane Wang, Park Village Elementary School (third place).
• Fifth Grade: Anastasia Schas, Home school (first place).
• Sixth Grade: Michael Chiang, Mesa Verde Middle School (first place).
• Recycled Water Category First Place: Edmund Sumpena, second-grader at Park Village Elementary School.