Young artists recognized

Maricopa Wells Middle School had three sixth grade finalists in the recent Pinal County Attorney’s 20th Annual Anti-Drug Poster Contest. All are students in Loretta Yager’s visual arts classes at the school.

“Over 1,300 entries were received this year, up from 1,000 last year,” said County Attorney Jim Walsh. “First the field was narrowed to 60 finalists. Once those were chosen, nine winners were selected by an independent panel of 11 judges.”

Maricopa sixth grader Oscar Cervantes was one of the nine winners for his “Say No to Dope” entry. He won an expense-paid trip to the Challenger Space Center and his art, along with that of the other finalists, appears on a calendar distributed to Pinal County schools and businesses.
   
Maricopa semi-finalists were Nicole Carpenter for her “Drugs Will Tear Your World Apart” poster, and Desiree Velarde for her “Drugs Destroy Dreams” entry.

“It was exciting to be named,” said Velarde. “I felt really emotional.”

Photo by Joyce Hollis