JPL Director Awarded Medal of Science

Dr. Edward C. Stone Jr., director of Caltech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, was among more than 30 people who were awarded either the National Medal of Science or the National Medal of Technology.

Stone received the medal in the physical sciences category “for his outstanding leadership as project scientist for the Voyager space mission and his experiments in the outer solar system.”

The award recipients will be honored at a black-tie dinner at the State Department.

Stone, who became JPL director on Jan. 1, has been the Voyager project scientist at JPL since 1972, participating in hardware development and mission operations. He is also a vice president at Caltech.

Since the launch of two Voyager spacecraft in 1977, Stone has coordinated 11 teams of scientists in their investigations of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The Voyagers, after delivering images of the planets, will leave the solar system and enter interstellar space.

Overall, Stone has been a principal investigator on nine NASA spacecraft and a co-investigator on nine others. From 1983 to 1988, the National Academy of Sciences member served as chairman of Caltech’s Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy.

Sierra Madre’s Beautification Committee has honored several residents for their yards.

Jan and John Maddox were presented the Wisteria Award for their landscaping at 800 N. Auburn. Others recognized: Gerald Washburn, 401 Sunnyside Ave.; Ernie and Ann Smith, 702 Camillo Ave.; Colin and Terry Bing, 64 W. Carter Ave.; James and Tammy Graham, 183 E. Laurel, and Gloria Hinshaw, 38 S. Sunnyside.

KABC news anchor Ann Martin and weatherman Johnny Mountain will be honored by the Los Angeles Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for their segments to help pets.

Martin, of La Canada Flintridge, recently co-produced a weeklong documentary about pet overpopulation. Mountain, of Pasadena, does a weekly pet adoption segment.

They will be honored during the second annual Paloma Awards presentation at the Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu Sept. 29.