Sixth-Grader Wins T-Shirt Design Award

* Samantha Peralta, an 11-year-old sixth-grader at Blackstock School in Oxnard, won the California Strawberry Festival’s Elementary School Youth T-shirt Design Contest. Samantha’s design features a California map noting Oxnard as “the strawberry capital of the world!” Her winning design was chosen from 1,072 student entries from three Oxnard school districts. T-shirts featuring her design will be available for purchase at the May 15-16 festival.

Several Honored for Helping the Autistic

* The board of directors of the Ventura County Autism Society bestowed its inaugural Awesome in Autism Awards. The honorees, awarded for their dedication to enhance the lives of those with autism spectrum disorder, are:

Educator of the Year--Fran Arner Costello of Ventura.

Parent of the Year--Roberta Werre of Simi Valley.

Individual of the Year--Lynn Kern Koegel of Santa Barbara.

Community Person of the Year--Amy Super of Ventura.

Service Provider of the Year--Children’s Therapy Center in Camarillo.

Donation to Ballet Company to Serve Youth

* The Channel Islands Ballet Company received a $10,000 donation from the Woods-Claeyssens Foundation for its “Arts for Youth” program. The program offers theater and classroom events designed to educate and expand appreciation of the performing arts, history and cultural diversity through dance. The program also brings internationally and nationally recognized guest choreographers and artists to Ventura County to work with young artists.

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Awards and Honors is compiled by Rodney Bosch. Please address items to Awards and Honors, Los Angeles Times, 93 S. Chestnut St., Ventura 93001. Items can also be faxed to The Times at 653-7576 or 653-7548.