La Mesa Historical Photo Story-Writing Contest Winners Announced

The La Mesa Historical Society made the following announcement on Thursday, May 16, 2012:

On Tuesday, May 15, the and Kiwanis Club of La Mesa presented prizes to the award winners for the first annual 3rd grade La Mesa Historical Photo Story-Writing Contest at the La Mesa-Spring Valley School Board meeting.   

The Contest was created as part of the 2012 City of La Mesa Centennial Celebration.

Grand Prize Winner:  Grace Eby, , Mary Carrera’s class.  Grace received an iPad from the Kiwanis Club of La Mesa. Grace wrote about a circa 1919 photo of a group of children, and their pet donkeys, playing on Date Avenue.

Runners Up:  Isaiah Graves, , Melinda Swulius’ class and Niran Cuevas, also of Maryland Avenue and Mary Carrera’s class.  Both received $50 Target gift cards from the La Mesa Historical Society.  Isaiah wrote about being a merchant in a 1912 La Mesa store, and Niran wrote about being pioneer moviemaker Allan Dwan 100 years ago in La Mesa.

Grace Eby will be honored at the June 12 City Council meeting along with the yet-to-be named winner of the 11th Grade Centennial Essay contest. She will also be a rider on the City’s Centennial Float in this year’s on June 2nd.

The winners were chosen from 102 entries received from throughout the  district’s 3rd Grade classes.  The participants, all who will receive a ribbon, each chose one of a select set of historic La Mesa photographs from the collections of the Historical Society, researched the scene and wrote a story of being in the historic photograph.  The entries were scored on historical research and accuracy, grammar and creativity.

All entry submissions will be housed at the Historical Society’s Archives.