Citizen Bee Contest to Draw Students From 20 Schools

Participating high school students in grades nine through 12 will be tested on their knowledge of American history, geography, current events and issues, American government, economics and American culture in California Citizen Bee regional competitions Saturday. The Citizen Bee is a nationwide competition designed to stimulate greater understanding of the United States and the issues facing it.

In Southern California alone, 10 competitions will take place at various locations.

The Times building in Costa Mesa will be the site of one competition. Orange County schools competing there, beginning at 9 a.m., will be Costa Mesa, Dana Hills, El Toro, Estancia, Mission Viejo, Saddleback, San Clemente, St. Margaret’s, Trabuco Hills and Tustin high schools.

In another competition at the Holiday Inn in Anaheim, also beginning at 9 a.m., will be Bolsa Grande, Edison, Huntington Beach, Katella, Kennedy, La Habra, Loara, Los Amigos, Marina and Servite high schools.

Another regional will take place March 11 in San Diego.

Winners will advance to state-level competition April 22, and state winners will receive a 5-day, expense-paid trip to Washington for the national competition June 18 and 19, followed by a 3-day educational study tour.

Participating students receive cash awards and certificates of commendation. Cash awards in various sizes are presented to school, regional and state finalists. Columbia Savings & Loan will present an additional $2,500 educational scholarship to the Southern California first-place winner. The national winner will receive a $7,000 scholarship, and second- and third-place finishers will receive $5,000 and $3,000 scholarships, respectively.

The national Citizen Bee was developed in 1985 by the Washington-based, nonprofit, nonpartisan Close Up Foundation, the nation’s largest civic education foundation.

Los Alamitos High School senior Kathy Fitzer has been named winner of the California Youth Services Network Roger Injayan Youth Participation Award.

The award is given to young people who participate in volunteer activities that benefit youth-oriented services and community agencies. Fitzer is president of the Youth Development Project at Casa Youth Shelter in Los Alamitos, a temporary haven for runaway teen-agers and other youths in crisis.

“What luck for rulers that men do not think.�

--Adolph Hitler (1889-1945)