Youths Win Contest for Anti-Drug Posters

Eight youngsters from Sylmar and Sun Valley who designed posters with anti-drug messages are winners in a national contest sponsored by a housing organization.

Two of the local winners, Alex Ramirez, 10, and Rudy Arias, 15, of Sylmar, will receive $1,000 scholarships and have their posters included in a nationally distributed calendar, said Jessica Spaulding, a spokeswoman for the Affordable Housing Management Assn.

The AHMA, which sponsors the event, is a nonprofit organization representing managers of privately owned, government-assisted housing.

This year marked the 10th anniversary of the AHMA Drug-Free Kid Poster Calendar Contest, which is designed to encourage young residents to stay away from drugs. The theme of this year’s competition, which was open to students in grades K-12, was “It’s My Future.” Submissions were judged on their ability to illustrate the theme, as well as creativity and originality of the designs, Spaulding said.

Glenoaks Townhomes in Sylmar produced three Pacific Southwest regional winners and the two national winners. The other Valley honorees, all regional winners, live in either Strathern Court or Strathern Park Apartments in Sun Valley.

Besides Alex and Rudy, the other Sylmar winners were Texana Frances Booker II, Francine Urias and Julia Carranza. The Sun Valley winners were Emilia Madrid, Robert Stawinski and Monica Lujan.

This was the fourth year that Texana has been named a winner in the competition, and she and three-time winner Francine were made members of the AHMA Hall of Fame.

The 16-year-old senior at Cleveland High School in Reseda encouraged other kids to get involved in the fight against drugs. “The contest is a good way to communicate with other kids and to tell them not to get involved with drugs,” Texana said. “It’s really an honor to get recognized. I want to be a good role model for other kids.”