BLOOMING PRAIRIE – Twenty young scientists will take their projects to the Region Science Fair.

Tuesday, March 21, 2000

BLOOMING PRAIRIE – Twenty young scientists will take their projects to the Region Science Fair.

They were purple-ribbon-winners at the 2000 Blooming Prairie Elementary School Science Fair held Thursday.

Seventy-eight projects were displayed in the school gymnasium after judges made their rulings.

A large crowd of parents, grandparents and other family members and friends viewed the projects and heard explanations from the students.

Christie Nicholson, one of only 11 fourth-graders to compete, was typical of the eager young scientists.

As visitors stopped to inspect her display on an acid rain project, she dutifully explained what she concluded from her work.

Then, she blurted out, "I misspelled a word on the poster" and pointed out an extra letter in the word "experimenting."

Nicholson won a red ribbon for her project, but got a purple ribbon for honest from visitors.

Allison Seymour, another fourth-grader, told how milk curdled and admitted: "My project stinks."

She earned a blue ribbon.

Brenda Sorensen, a fifth-grade teacher and one of the faculty coordinators of the competition, was impressed with the results of the students’ efforts.

"This is the ninth year the Blooming Prairie Science Fair has sponsored the competition," Sorensen said. "Each year, the projects get better and better."

Two of the purple ribbon-winners discussed their winning efforts.

David Leek, a sixth-grader and son of Bruce and Anne Leek, created a radio.

"I got a 98, a 100 and an 82 on my score," the youth said. "This is the third time I’ve entered the science fair. Last year, I told how a CD works. This is fun."

His sister, Danielle, a fourth-grader, also earned a purple ribbon for her project.

Holly Carlson, another sixth-grader and daughter of Scott and Pam Carlson, also won a purple ribbon for a project on recycling.

Carlson’s ambitious project calculated how much paper sixth-graders at the elementary school waste each week.

"It came to seven pounds and that’s a lot," Carlson said.

The sixth-grader hopes to organize a recycling project in the school to ensure that all paper is recycled.

Purple ribbon-winners

Those projects earning the judges’ purple ribbons included: Justin Krell, Animae Kasemi, Patrick Rumpza, Danielle Leek, fourth grade; Brantley Tyson, fifth grade; and Laura Peterson, Ashley Masching, David Leek, Mallory Macal, Kelly Pogones, Jenna Nelson, Patrick Mattox, Ashley Schmeling, Derek Haubenschild, Lauren Hines, Laura Williamson, David Clark, Nicole Kaplan, Holly Carlson and Carly Coddington.

The regional science fair at Mankato will be April 29. Only the purple-ribbon winners can advance.