LAKE COUNTY — Four students were awarded professional grade astronomical telescopes after a competition by the Friends of the Taylor Observatory-Norton.
The winners are as follows: Kadence Stewart of Coyote Valley Elementary School, Daniel Seawater of Burns Valley Elementary School, Alexander Sanchez of Kelseyville High School (KHS) and Luis Sanchez of KHS. Instructors to the winning students are Cora Carrier, Kathy Scavone and Andrea Pullman, according to Bill Haddon, president of Friends of the Taylor Observatory-Norton.
Alex Sanchez and Seawater received their telescopes in July during the Taylor Public Night. Stewart and Luis Sanchez were honored recently as well.
The winners each received a 6-inch Dobsonian telescope, a stargazing book, moon filter and other astronomy related items, Haddon stated. Entrants are judged by a team of volunteers. Judges included Haddon and Walt Lyon, representing Friends of the Taylor Observatory-Norton, and observatory assistant Eduardo Allatore, who provide student perspective to the judging process. Entrants are judged on an essay, on demonstrated interest in the observatory and on teacher recommendations.
Friends of the Taylor Observatory-Norton is a public corporation which supports Lake County students.
Businesses and individuals in the community sponsor the award program, now in its third year. This year”s sponsors for the telescopes were: Debi Garace of the Kelseyville branch of the Umpqua Bank; Tina Schneidemann, owner of Tina”s Barber Shop in Kelseyville; Jed Steele; and Mary Hearne Amodio, Lakeport attorney. Charles W. Niemann, Dave Geck and Caterina DiGiovanna provided important supplemental funding for the program as well.
For information, email Haddon at friendsoftaylor@gmail.com or call (415) 209-3084. For information about the observatory and planetarium, call Barbara McIntyre, observatory coordinator, at 262-4121.
