Child Abuse Prevention Art And Poetry Nets Awards

Awards and recognition were handed out to more than 40 Tuolumne County school students at Tuesday´s Board of Supervisor´s meeting – winners in the Child Abuse Prevention Poster and Poetry Contest.

The annual contest is sponsored by the county´s recreation department and involves kids from Youth Center programs in Groveland, Jamestown, and Tuolumne.

Recreation Department Supervisor Betty Cones says the cooperative program -started 14 years ago between the Child Abuse Prevention Council and the County Recreation Department – has been successful in opening up dialog between children and adults about child abuse.

“It opens an avenue for us to discuss with them what they felt,” Cones said.

Cones said the outcome of the contest isn´t all about art. “Sometimes we get some pretty heavy-duty things coming out through the poetry and the posters, but we feel that´s important for that to happen,” she said.

More than 220 first-grade through 12th grade students entered posters and poetry this year.

This year´s winners are:

Rebecca Belitz, Christina Zumwalt, Rachel Brewer, Jacquelyn Davis, Michelle Fuller,Zachery Hineman, Kassandra Gonzalez, Damaris Nogales, Artemio Ruiz, and Steven Graham.

Justine Abbott, Patricia Middleton, James Trujillo, Sammi Smith, Eden McCoy, R.J. Johnson, Allen Thomason, Scott Pritchard, Brittany Cathrein, Brittany Bradley, and Brian Malloy.

Amy Dhanota, Mahaila Ford, Kathy Rhoden, Dakota Brown, Mark Carlson,Rachel Blazzard, Angel Cain, Taeler Polonus, Jessica Ford, Donnie Escamilla, and Shantel Thompson.

Jennifer Ellis, Brianna Comiskey,Kandace Peck, Matt K., John Madden, Alissa Ross, and Andrew Openheim.

High School Poetry Winners

Julie Burns, Sarah D, Eric Pina, Dee Hallett, Sheena Landman, and Mike Owsley.